Many people (especially unscrupulous utility payers) are interested in what is the procedure for shutting off electricity in compliance with the law in 2022. Can they leave without electricity without warning in advance? What are the grounds for turning off electricity if minor children live in the house? To answer all these questions, it is necessary to refer to the law governing the relationship between the apartment owner and service providers, which in our case will be housing and communal services, a management company, a housing association, energy sales, etc.
The main legislative act in this situation is, of course, Resolution No. 354, which was adopted by the Government of the Russian Federation in 2011 with amendments made to it. Also, the rules for the provision of utility services are prescribed in Resolution No. 307. But still, the main law that you need to focus on is Resolution No. 442. It does not develop rules in general terms for all utilities, but specifically for electricity supply. Currently, the total debt to housing and communal services employees is approximately 900 billion.
Almost a third of this amount is owed by ordinary citizens, the rest is on the conscience of legal entities and organizations. Accordingly, various methods of punishment are applied to defaulters in order to achieve fulfillment of their obligations. The law allows employees of organizations providing electricity supply to apartments to turn off the lights if there are late payments. But here the procedure for turning off the power must be followed, otherwise the law will define this action as a violation. And this is already a reason for you to complain where you should and demand compensation for moral damage.
For all questions related to solving public service problems, you can consult for free on our website with experienced lawyers using the feedback form.
What to do if there is a sudden blackout
Before calling emergency services when there is no power, it is important to check your home meters first.
A power outage could only happen in your apartment, which is due to the presence of a large number of electrical appliances or due to a short circuit.
To check this, just go to the panel, which in apartment buildings is often installed on the site. If the automatic meter system does not work, the shutdown problem affects the entire house. Once you are sure of this, you can start calling the responsible authorities.
Important. Sometimes the automatic system may not work and you will be the only one without light. In such cases, you can notice the problem by following the traces of burnt wiring.
Rules for de-energizing a house or apartment for non-payment
The law on disconnecting electricity for non-payment states that only the contractor can carry out such activities. Such a person in the connection between the consumer - management company - RSO is the resource supplying organization.
If the contract for the provision of electrical energy is concluded with a management company or HOA, then in this case they act as executors. Consequently, the disconnection procedure for non-payment is within the competence of the management of the management company.
As a rule, the RSO or housing office must calculate the period followed by the period of non-payment.
It is necessary to perform such actions, starting from:
- dates of conclusion of the contract for the supply of services;
- obtaining by a citizen of the Russian Federation the right of ownership of real estate;
- the number from which the order was generated;
- transfer of an apartment for housing (relevant for municipal cooperatives);
- signing an act of acceptance of the area (applicable to owners of shares in construction).
Amount of debt for turning off the lights
RSO and housing and communal services are allowed to partially or completely stop the supply of light to a house/apartment if there is a payment arrears in the amount of more than 2 average monthly payments.
What services can you call if there is no power?
Where to go if the power goes out without notice? If there is no electricity in the entire house , you can first contact the control room of the utility service provider or the chairman of the partnership if the house is part of an HOA.
If the above services do not have data, you should contact the energy saving organization on whose territory your apartment or house is located.
In large cities there are also Temporary Information Centers operating in a specific area. Their telephone numbers should also be provided to residents at information boards.
If there are people with disabilities in the family, it is important to know about benefits for utility bills.
It is also worth knowing that in cases where an unscheduled power outage without warnings on the information board leads to damage to property, citizens have the right to demand compensation for the resulting damage from the utility service provider and the energy-saving organization.
In such situations, victims are guided by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 of 05/06/2011 on “ Rules for the provision of utility services in apartment buildings and residential buildings .”
Important. The telephone numbers of all emergency services, the chairman of the HOA, the control room of the utility service provider and other important organizations should be posted on the information stand at the entrance.
Schedule: information and placement
A planned power outage is preceded by drawing up an exact schedule, which details where and when repair and maintenance work is planned to be carried out.
As a rule, this document is drawn up at the end of the year for each month of the upcoming reporting period. Moreover, its preparation is carried out by employees of the network organization that provides electricity supply services to the population (where to go if the power is turned off?).
According to the general rules, the schedule of planned power outages indicates the following information:
- exact dates of planned maintenance and repair work (month, date);
- time of power outage;
- category of subscribers (for example, residential buildings, shops, etc.);
- addresses;
- contact numbers of utility consumers.
Below is a sample schedule of planned power outages:
Many network organizations publish blackout schedules for the coming year on their official website, since this information should also be brought to the attention of citizens.
Reasons for shutdown
In most cases, the reasons for turning off the lights will be related to the following points:
Can a consumer really protect his rights in the Russian Federation?
Not really
- carrying out preventive work;
- repair of faulty equipment;
- equipment failure due to natural disasters;
- accident at a power plant;
- hooligan antics leading to a power outage;
- presence of unmetered electricity consumption;
- connecting a large number of electrical appliances to the network;
- non-payment for electricity.
Important. Scheduled repairs cannot be carried out for more than 24 hours.
Over the course of a year, the total time during which scheduled repairs were carried out cannot exceed 72 hours . The timing of emergency repairs can be negotiated separately when signing an agreement with the company supplying electricity.
Do they have the right to turn off electricity in winter?
The time of year does not affect the right of the resource supplying organization to terminate the provision of services in the event of prolonged non-payment. Even if the debtor has a heating boiler and stove running on electricity, the electricity supply may be cut off.
If you find yourself in a difficult financial situation, pay at least 500 rubles for electricity every month, then the chance of a shutdown will decrease. An alternative option is to ask the company for an installment plan: in most cases, debtors are met halfway. A ban on power outages was temporarily introduced during the coronavirus period, but it has been lifted in 2021.
If you don't pay, you sit in the dark!
If for some reason citizens do not pay for electricity consumption, the utility service provider can turn off its supply. This can only be done three months from the date of receipt of the last payment.
In this case, one month before the expiration of 90 days, the management company or any other utility provider is required to send a warning. If it is not received, citizens have the right to appeal the power outage.
When the power is turned off due to non-payment, a report on the work being carried out must be drawn up. It serves as confirmation that the management company does not violate Article 330 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Arbitrariness”.
Important. In the event that the disconnection was illegal, citizens can be guided by the “Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights” and its Article 15 and demand compensation for moral damage.
Do you have the right to turn off the electricity if you have minor children?
The residence of a small child with the debtor does not affect the right of the supplying organization to stop supplying electricity. Only their parents are responsible for minors, so they should be concerned about their comfort.
Either one child or three or more children do not give parents the right not to pay utility bills. They are provided with federal and regional subsidies, incl. and for housing and communal services. If there is a debt for electricity, it may be turned off, and the debt will have to be repaid. In addition, in this case, people with many children may be deprived of their rights to benefits: for most payments, the absence of debts on housing and communal services is required.
Where to complain about arbitrariness?
If you are unable to find support from the management company and the chairman of the HOA, try dialing the emergency service number. Here you can report a power outage that has occurred without prior warning.
If your property is damaged, and the utility service provider and the energy saving company do not want to compensate for the damage, you can file a complaint with the court.
The complaint is written to the address of the district court . It is important to state the essence of the problem in strictly business language and attach evidence confirming damage to electrical appliances. This can be confirmed by receipts for repairs performed or the results of an independent examination.
The time frame for consideration of a received application is ten days from the date of receipt of the claim . After this, you will receive a response about the commencement of legal proceedings and the date of the hearing.
Important. In their claim, citizens can be guided by Resolution No. 354 of 05/06/2011 on the “Rules for the provision of utility services in apartment buildings and residential buildings” and the Law of the Russian Federation of 02/07/1992 N 2300-1 (as amended on 07/13/2015) “On the protection of consumer rights”
Knowing your rights, you will be able to avoid many problems and quickly compensate for the damage received. If you need to go to court, you should find a competent lawyer who can help you collect the required package of documents and write a competent statement.
How to deal with frequent power outages online via the Internet?
- As a rule, the websites of municipal administrations are interactive, where you can write a statement outlining your problems and wait for a response.
- Register on the federal government services website and file a complaint in the appropriate window on this site. Registration rules are given on the website. They require a personal appearance at one of the local institutions for identification.
- If the previous appeal did not have any effect, you should contact the website of the regional prosecutor's office with a complaint in any form.
Finding out the address is easy: write in Yandex Search: website of the prosecutor's office of the N region (republic, territory, district). Your complaint will be considered if it does not violate the rules given on this site. If you have not previously contacted the authority to which the energy supply organization is subordinate, your application will be forwarded to this authority for action.
Why is the electricity cut off?
All consumers whose disconnection from power supply is not accompanied by catastrophic consequences, disruption of the technological cycle or causing harm to human life and health are classified in category III.
This is the entire residential sector of settlements. They can be disconnected from the power supply if there is a need for technical work on the power line. Not only during accidents, but also during the reconstruction of the power supply system and its maintenance.
For example, during the planned replacement of supports, transformers and other regulatory activities. The maximum shutdown time is not specified by law. In practice, it does not exceed 24 hours; multi-day outages do occur, but very rarely. Scheduled work is notified in advance, usually at least 2 days in advance.
Shutting off electricity for non-payment is the most common case. However, there are several other reasons why such measures are applied to consumers.
- Unauthorized connection to power lines and theft of electricity. A broken seal on the metering device can also lead to such conclusions.
- Intentional damage to electricity meters.
- Installing electrical appliances with too much power and exceeding the consumption limit established by energy supply organizations.
- Actions leading to deterioration in the quality of supplied electricity. This is a very interesting point. The fact is that the installation of capacitor banks to compensate for reactive energy in order to save money may be accompanied by emissions into the general network during those periods when the level of overall consumption decreases. They lead to distortion of the sinusoid shape and exceeding the maximum permissible voltage values. First of all, this applies to products made in China that are plugged into an outlet. However, even industrial models can only be installed in agreement with energy supply organizations.
Algorithm of actions
It is necessary to inspect all devices connected to the network.
If the lights in the apartment are turned off, the first thing you need to check is whether the neighbors have electricity. If there is no electricity in one apartment, you should look for the problem. To do this, you need to provide yourself with a source of lighting - it can be a flashlight, a candle, or matches.
Next, you need to carefully inspect the devices connected to the network. If an electrical appliance has a burning smell or visible burnt parts, it must be carefully disconnected from the power supply with one hand, without touching the exposed parts of the wires. All powerful household appliances should also be turned off.
There are cases in which you cannot solve the problem yourself; you need to call an electrician:
- the appearance of sparks from the socket, shield;
- smell of burnt plastic from wiring;
- receiving a message about a planned shutdown.
When the machine is triggered in the panel, before turning it on, it is necessary to carry out a visual inspection.
The light goes out for the first two reasons, it may be due to problems with the electrical wiring. Only a professional must fix this problem; repairing the wiring yourself is prohibited. In the latter case, the shutdown is planned, and residents will be warned that the lighting will be turned off for a certain period.
When the light goes out in the apartment, the machines can be turned on or off. If any machine is disabled, it is not recommended to activate it immediately. You must first carefully inspect the insulation - it should be without damage or darkening. All manipulations must be carried out with one hand - the other does not touch anything. The plugs can be knocked out due to a household appliance (for example, due to an old iron). Then the device must be unplugged from the outlet. Only after these steps is it possible to turn on the machine. If the lights in the apartment are turned off, but the machines are on, you need to call a technician.
It's worth looking at the electricity meter. On newer devices, the red LED will turn on and off; on older models, a rattling noise can be heard. If there is no sound or flashing, there is no electricity flowing.
If after turning on the circuit breakers there is no electricity, you need to call an electrician.
What to do in case of technical problems
At the suggestion of one respected satirist, it became very funny to look out the window when the electricity goes out. In fact, this is a completely correct action. If the entire neighborhood is de-energized, you can turn on an emergency light source (candle, lantern) and wait for the fault to be eliminated.
But if you find that only your entrance or a group of houses connected to one phase is not working, you need to contact the dispatch service. The fact is that only line breaks with voltages of 10 kV and above are recorded at the control center of regional electrical networks.
Consumers report incidents on 0.4 kV lines, which are all household electrical networks. Do this immediately when there is smoke coming from the switchboard, power substation, or the transformer is humming unusually loudly!
After all, repairing completely burnt-out power equipment will take much more time than replacing its faulty part. The emergency telephone number to call if an emergency occurs is usually indicated on the doors of the substation or switchboard.
If you don't pay on time
The law is quite loyal to debtors. If you missed a monthly payment for electricity , it will simply be included in the next payment. This also happens if payment is made after the deadline specified in the contract. For example, the money should arrive on the 21st, but you paid on the 24th. Then you can ignore the amount of the debt and pay only that accrued according to the submitted testimony.
If you miss two payments, you will be sent a formal debt notice requiring you to pay it off within 20 days. This is usually done by registered mail with return receipt requested, so that the defaulter cannot use ignorance as an excuse when considering the claim of the energy supply organization in court.
It is at this stage that you can restructure your debt voluntarily by contacting the energy supply organization. In cities they are management companies, housing departments and other offices. In rural areas, you need to contact Energosbyt directly. In this case, you will be offered an acceptable debt repayment schedule within six months. Its violation leads to automatic termination of power supply.
The limit of patience of the electricity supplier is different amounts and values in different regions. In some, this is three times the minimum subsistence level. In others, there are three average standards for electricity consumption per month.
At the end of 20 days from the receipt of the official warning, measures are first taken to limit the amount of electricity supplied. For example, they will replace your circuit breaker with inputs from 32 to 10 amperes. Physical disconnection from the line occurs after another 10 days, provided that you have not repaid the debt.
After a physical disconnection, you can only go to court for debt restructuring.
Where to go to connect electricity
You can apply for restoration of power supply only after the debt has been fully repaid. Alternatively, it is possible to reach an agreement with the contractor to provide payment in installments. Connecting the light is a service that you will have to pay for.
To connect the light back you need:
- Contact the service organization (for example, OEC), you can find it in the receipt.
- Pay for the service of restoring electricity, costing about 600-800 rubles.
- Within 2 days, an electrician must come and remove the seal (ab. 9, clause 120 of PP No. 354).
How does the shutdown happen?
This process is associated not only with technical activities, but also with the implementation of legal formalities. In the normal course of events - if the consumer does not dispute the amount of debt - representatives of the energy supply organization and the homeowner take part in it.
The act is drawn up in triplicate. It indicates the full name of the owner, the latest meter readings, the reason for the shutdown and the period for which it is performed. The technical measures taken are also described - how the shutdown was carried out.
The debtor has the right to make his own notes in the act - about agreement or disagreement with the measures taken and others. If the homeowners are hiding, then the shutdown occurs based on a court decision and without their participation. Bailiffs can also sign the act.
In the access panel, shutdown is carried out in different ways. For example, the technical neutral wire is cut off at the consumer's meter so that it is impossible to connect to it. Or remove the seal from the terminal block of the metering device, unscrew the neutral wire and reseal it.
In rural areas, a private house is disconnected by removing the neutral wire from the insulator on the wall, leaving it connected to the line on the pole. In general, measures are taken to ensure that the debtor cannot reconnect unnoticed.
How to reconnect
The basis for reconnection is the fully repaid debt or a court decision to restructure the debt, provided that the first payment according to its schedule has been made. These documents must be attached to the application with which you apply to the electrical energy supplier and enter into a re-contract with him for the supply of energy resources. When performing this action, two conditions are met:
- The one who disconnected connects. If the power line is on the balance sheet of a management company, remote control company or homeowners' association, then only they can carry out all work on it.
- Electrician connection work is always paid. The meter is sealed again and is also paid for. Tariffs are determined by local authorities.
You can become a debtor to pay for electricity even if you have not missed a single payment. For the reason that your management company does not transfer money to the energy supplier on time. But complaints will be addressed to you. In this case, upon receiving official notice of the debt, you must immediately file a counterclaim in court, which usually sides with bona fide payers.
Additional Information:
- threat of accident;
- natural disasters;
- unauthorized connection;
- use of devices with unacceptably powerful loads;
- instructions from supervisory authorities, as well as from courts.
These agreements are legal if all conditions are met by the energy supplier and the user. If we consider the bodies that exercise control over the fulfillment of these obligations, then these are local authorities.
When turning off or suspending the supply of light provoked dangerous consequences or caused losses, officials are subject to the imposition of financial sanctions - up to 200 thousand rubles. or in the amount of total income for the last year and a half; restriction (deprivation) of freedom for 2-3 years.
Quite often, consumers experience sudden power outages. This is due to various reasons: consumer debt, accidents on the line. If the accident can be quickly corrected, the lights are turned off for a short time, but if the repair is delayed, the consumer, especially in the summer, suffers significant damage: refrigerators defrost, split systems do not work.
For technical reasons, it is easier to turn off the lights in a targeted manner than, for example, the sewerage system or water supply. Therefore, for those who do not pay rent, it is easier for the management company to turn off the power supply than to continue to persuade them or impose fines.
Without electricity, life becomes more difficult. This applies to both private life and the work of enterprises. In most cases, when it is turned off, activity ceases, which significantly affects the company's profits.
- A debtor who does not pay for services for two or more months is given a notice of debt, with a full calculation of the amount due. Delivery is made in person or by mail, by letter with notification. You have 30 days to repay the debt.
- If payment was not made within the specified time frame, then the previous amount is recalculated, taking into account penalties and other penalties, and a new notification is sent. It allows three days to pay off the debt.
- A complaint filed with Rospotrebnadzor or Energosbyt stating that the energy-receiving equipment does not meet established standards and poses a potential danger to apartment residents or other persons.
- Late payment by the consumer for supplied electricity.
- Illegal connection to power lines.
Since the shutdown of the utility service was carried out in violation of the established procedure, you have the right to recover damages (the cost of damaged products) and moral damages. You must go to court with reference to the law on the protection of consumer rights, in this case you are exempt from paying state fees, and if the claims are satisfied in your favor, a fine will be collected from the defendant in the amount of 50% of the amount of the claim satisfied by the court.
121. Restriction or suspension by the contractor of the provision of utility services, which may lead to a violation of the rights to receive utility services of proper quality by a consumer who fully fulfills the obligations established by the legislation of the Russian Federation and the agreement containing provisions on the provision of utility services, is not allowed, except for the cases specified in subparagraphs “a”, “b” and “d” of paragraph 115 and paragraph “b” of paragraph 117 of these Rules.
It is also necessary to turn off the lighting, leaving one light source, which will serve as a signal that the electrical network has been restored.
In order to ensure optimal operation of the generator during a power outage, it is necessary to strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions, install the device outdoors or in a fully ventilated area, and connect instruments and lighting directly to the emergency generator. When using extension cords, you must ensure that the cords are certified.
How to write a statement → Sample documents → Emails → How to write a complaint → Step-by-step instructions → Best deals → Organizational work schedules → Official websites of organizations → How to write a complaint
Time frame for elimination
Consumers must be provided with an uninterrupted supply of electricity throughout the year. In accordance with clause 9 of Appendix No. 1 of Resolution No. 354, a break in the electricity supply is allowed for two hours if there are two independent mutually redundant power sources. The permissible duration of a power outage can be 24 hours with one power source.
An interruption in the supply of electricity is not allowed if this could lead to a shutdown of networks and equipment that belongs to the common property of an apartment building, ensuring the uninterrupted operation of in-house engineering systems and safe living conditions for citizens.
These deadlines apply to cases of planned repair work on power lines. They are prescribed in the agreement between the consumer and the utility service provider. Energy supply companies inform you in advance about the start of planned work (read more about the procedure for turning off electricity here, and you can find out more about the planned interruption of electricity supply here).
Regarding emergency situations requiring an unscheduled power outage, the legislation does not establish specific deadlines for repair work. In each specific case, the time frame for restoring power supply may vary. This depends on the complexity of the breakdown and the amount of resources to fix it. In the event of natural disasters (flood, hurricane, etc.), natural conditions also affect the period.
Electricity is one of the main household goods of modern society, and turning it off brings a lot of problems for residents. There may be several reasons for the shutdown, one of which is late payment for supplied energy resources. From our materials you will learn how to turn off the power for non-payment, the owner to refuse electricity supply, and also whether the chairman of SNT or the management company has the right to stop the supply of electricity - read in our materials.
