There can actually be quite a lot of reasons why the cold makes living in an apartment uncomfortable. When asking a very concerning question in such cases, what to do and where to complain, you must first find out why the housing does not retain heat, what standards are provided and what to do if you cannot find out the reason yourself.
The most common reason for the cold is the fact that in most Russian houses old network communications are still functioning, which are long overdue for repair or replacement. Sometimes the wear and tear of communications can be completely critical, despite the fact that it is often not possible for the average person to look at them. Incorrect installation of the heating system is not uncommon, which could occur even at the planning stage. The latter applies more to new buildings, which developers are in a hurry to deliver as quickly as possible, without caring about the quality of the property.
In addition, the reason for the low temperature in the apartment may be the competence of energy supply workers who ineptly regulate the heat supply and its distribution. In any case, if it is cold in the existing apartment, everything possible must be done to eliminate this shortcoming. This usually requires contacting the appropriate responsible organization.
What to focus on?
There are government-approved rules regarding the procedure and standards for providing utility services to citizens. According to them, the temperature in the apartment and other residential premises cannot be less than +18 degrees. For corner apartments, a value below +20 degrees is completely unacceptable.
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Slightly different requirements have been approved for the cold regions of the country, in which on the coldest five days of the year the temperature drops to -31 degrees and below. Here in apartments the norm is +20 degrees and no less. At the same time, it is assumed that the room must be well insulated, and measurements are taken in the center of the largest room in the apartment at the level of a meter from the floor. At night, a deviation of 3 degrees is permissible, but if the temperature is exceeded, the indicator cannot be higher than normal by more than 4 degrees. During the day, no deviations are allowed.
To measure correctly, you should hold the thermometer at a distance of a meter from the outer wall and a meter and a half from the floor. The measuring time is ten minutes.
In order for the indicators to be as effective as possible, it is advisable to take measurements not once a day, but hourly. When a violation is detected, citizens have a reason to contact housing organizations.
Initial actions
If citizens have reason to complain that the apartment is cold, it is important to know what needs to be done and in what order. First of all, a corresponding application is submitted, in which you must indicate your last name, first name, patronymic, place of registration and residence. The text must contain a detailed description of the problem indicating the temperature in the apartment. If there is a measurement schedule, this should also be indicated. On the other hand, when accepting an application, it is necessary to obtain from the responsible employee such information as his last name, first name, patronymic, number and date of registration of the application.
It also happens that the dispatch service employee is aware of the reason why it is cold in the apartment. If this is the case, he must immediately inform the applicant about it. However, by this action the organization automatically admits that it is providing its services improperly. Next this
this fact can serve as a basis for recalculating payments.
If the management organization is not aware of the problem, it will be necessary to set a time from which the service is not provided. Three working days are allotted for this. After this, an inspection should be done with the participation of representatives of utility services and in the presence of the applicant.
How to avoid paying for excess heat?
It is more profitable to install an automated heating system control unit in your home. Such equipment itself monitors the temperature outside and, depending on it, selects the mode of supplying heat to the apartments. In this case, residents do not face a situation where it is already relatively warm outside, but the radiators are hot and the room is so hot that they have to open the windows.
The decision to install smart equipment can only be made by a meeting of apartment owners. They also choose the brand of equipment, installation time and cost of subsequent maintenance.
The first frosts occurred in Moscow and the Moscow region at night. The colder weather and approaching frosts are a reason to urgently think about the temperature in the apartment. What are the responsibilities of utility workers regarding heating in your apartment and who to call if your radiators are cold?
It’s cold in the apartment: GOSTs and standards
According to sanitary standards, the temperature in the apartment should be from 18 to 25 degrees. So, according to GOST R 51617-2000 (temperature standards in rooms), in living rooms it should be about 18-20 degrees Celsius, in the bathroom, shower or restroom - up to 25 degrees. In the corner rooms of apartments, the air temperature should be another 2 degrees higher.
Who is responsible for ensuring that the apartments are not cold?
Heating is a public service, and you pay money to maintain a certain air temperature in your living space. If this service is of poor quality, you, as a consumer, have the right not to pay for heating services at all.
If it’s cold in your apartment, you urgently need to write a complaint to your management company. A commission will be sent to you that will identify the reasons for the low temperature in the apartment. Utilities are required to fix everything on average within 1 to 7 days.
Where to complain in Moscow if it’s cold in the apartment?
If a complaint to the management company does not bring results, you can contact one of the operating hotlines.
On October 8, the hotline of the Public Chamber of Russia began operating. You can complain about poor heating or poor heat supply to apartments by calling 8-800-700-8-800 from any region of the country. Complaints are accepted from 9.00 to 19.00.
Where can I contact?
There are several authorities that consider such applications from residents of apartment buildings. These are management companies, homeowners' associations, housing and communal services. An application with a complaint is sent to one of them, depending on which of the listed structures is responsible for the provision of utilities, in particular heating, for a particular residential building.
In order to file a complaint, you must:
- Be sure to take your own temperature measurements to identify non-compliance with established standards and differences in readings;
- If measurements have already been made, a written statement is drawn up, as discussed above;
- Afterwards, you need to make a copy of this statement for yourself, in case further proceedings concern higher authorities;
- The application is submitted to the responsible structure in person, by registered mail with notification or electronically through the online portal.
It is important to note that until the end of consideration of the issue and resolution of the problem, it is necessary to retain absolutely all documents, including copies of submitted applications and responses to them.
Where can I complain about heating in apartments?
If the heating is poor, the radiators in the apartment heat poorly, and the entrance is so cool that steam comes out of your mouth, you should contact the dispatch service of your area or the management company. Specialists must check and repair communications on the same day.
If the problem could not be solved or your call went unanswered, then you can report the poor performance of the heating systems to the Moscow Department of Housing and Communal Services. Operators of the Department's unified dispatch service accept requests for accidents, complaints and comments regarding the operation of heating systems around the clock by phone: +. In addition, Muscovites can use the department’s electronic reception desk.
Another option is to call MOEK. Messages about problems with heating in the apartment, accidents, steam release and other problems in the heating and water supply system are accepted around the clock by phone: +.
You can express dissatisfaction with the work of the management company through the electronic reception of the Moscow Housing Inspectorate or personally to the head of the territorial unit. In a written statement, you must briefly describe the essence of the issue and attach copies of appeals to the management company and other authorities.
You can also file a complaint using the Moscow State Services mobile application or on the Our City in the Apartment Buildings section. In the latter case, the answer will come within eight days.
Authorized bodies
If it was not possible to resolve the issue through the authorized organization that is responsible for heating in an apartment building, you can then complain to higher organizations and inspections.
| Name of authority | Notes |
| State Housing Inspectorate | Conducts repeated checks to establish the fact of low temperature and the cause of its occurrence |
| Rospotrebnadzor | Responsible for the protection of consumer rights. In addition to the application, you will need to send all documents indicating previous applications to other organizations, as well as evidence |
| Local government | The smaller the settlement and the workload of the responsible managers, the sooner the issue will be resolved and the violator will be brought to justice |
| Prosecutor's office | Law Enforcement and Civil Rights Officer. The most effective body, since it carries out the most stringent inspection of institutions against which complaints are received |
| Federal antimonopoly authority | Their task is to control the services provided |
| Mass media | After making public a problem in which government agencies are inactive, management will simply be forced to do something to resolve the conflict that has arisen |
| Judicial authority | The most stringent proceedings requiring mandatory consultation with experienced lawyers |
When replacing batteries
By showing persistence and patience in proceedings with the management organization, you can achieve recalculation for heating.
However, this will not give the desired result with the temperature in the apartment increasing to a normal reading, especially if the problem is not the dishonest fulfillment of obligations on the part of the utilities, but that the thermal communications need to be replaced and this must be done without delay. To make sure that the current batteries are not able to provide heat in the apartment due to their characteristics, you should check the difference in temperature between the battery itself and the riser. If the difference is significant and the riser is much hotter, then the battery is slagged. In this case, it is necessary to flush the radiator or replace it with a new one. It is desirable that he be able to regulate the temperature independently. It is not recommended to make such decisions on your own. It is advisable to consult a specialist before replacing.
It is important to note that batteries cannot be changed unless the riser is completely disconnected. To disable it, you need to submit a request to the management company. However, if the request was sent after the start of the heating season, you may receive a refusal. Based on this, it should be noted that it is better to carry out replacement in the summer. Otherwise, substantial grounds will be required to convince the management company of the urgent need to temporarily turn off the riser in the winter.
How to get a recalculation?
In case of constant interruptions in heat in apartments or on the landing, residents have the right to demand a recalculation. The cost of services should be reduced by 0.15 percent for each hour the permissible duration of a heating interruption is exceeded. The duration of emergency heating shutdowns during the cold season should not exceed 24 hours per month. A permissible one-time break at a temperature in the apartment from 12 to 18 degrees cannot last longer than 16 hours, at a temperature of 10–12 degrees - eight hours, and if the temperature in the apartment is 8-10 degrees, then four hours.
To record temperature deviations, you need to call the unified dispatch service of the Department of Housing and Communal Services. An employee of the management company will take measurements and draw up a report based on the results of the inspection.
The document must be submitted to or directly to the management company (if it independently makes calculations and accruals).
Heating payments are calculated based on the average monthly volumes of thermal energy consumption for the previous year. That is, accruals for the current year occur monthly in equal shares in the amount of one twelfth of the cost of the service consumed during the previous year. The heating fee is adjusted once a year. Volume reconciliation takes place in February of the year following the calculation year. Based on the results of this work, the amount of payments for the current year is adjusted in the first quarter.
Large-scale insulation
In situations where the root of the problem does not lie in the batteries, or the apartment owner does not have the opportunity to urgently change them, you can use improvised means for insulation.
For example, a noticeable difference will be felt immediately after installing plastic double-glazed windows, which reduce the flow of cold air from the street into the room. As you know, from 25% to 50% of heat is lost through windows and balcony doors. A more economical option is to insulate windows with sealants and sealants, for example, foam rubber. You can also place a special foil screen between the radiator and the wall so that the heat does not go into the wall, but is repelled from the screen into the room. In addition, you should make sure that the batteries are not obscured by furniture or other obstacles. For more serious insulation of an apartment, there are more significant methods, such as tearing off wallpaper, along with whitewashing and plaster. In this form, you can see all the cracks in the walls that need to be treated with sealant, polyurethane foam or plaster. The joints of window sills are also insulated with sealants and foam plastic or mineral wool. Such measures will not only help preserve heat, but will also significantly reduce the noise level from the street. Of course, this will take much longer and require significant financial costs. However, the result is obvious.
About radical solutions
A practice that is not so common today, but still quite common, is the complete refusal of apartment owners from the central heating system, disconnecting the apartment from it and installing individual heating devices.
The most radical method can be called the installation of gas equipment, since in apartment buildings the heating communication is quite complex and turning off one apartment can lead to a disruption in the overall balance. Moreover, such work affects the common property of an apartment building. This means that you cannot independently make a decision regarding disconnecting from central systems and connecting individual ones. Moreover, one should refer to federal laws that prohibit switching to an individual source of thermal energy in an apartment in an apartment building. The rules of state building regulations even say that the reconstruction of residential premises is unacceptable if it affects engineering systems.
Based on the above, it follows that in order to abandon central systems and install an individual system, a collective decision of the neighbors is necessary, with the submission of an application to the management company. Only after approval of such a request can the equipment be changed, but not in individual apartments, but for the entire riser. Therefore, this issue is quite complex and expensive.
How to reduce heating bills?
In some new buildings in the capital, heating radiators are already equipped with individual meters. By adjusting the temperature, residents can reduce their heating bills.
This technique can be used everywhere. But the whole house needs to switch to heating using individual metering devices at the same time. The decision must be made at a general meeting of owners. If you installed meters without the consent of your neighbors, then you will not be able to transfer the readings to the management company. Even with the radiator turned off, the heat in the apartment will remain thanks to the heating risers. But the whole house will have to pay for it.
It is beneficial for owners to install individual meters only with a modern horizontal heating system, when the risers are located in the entrance, and two pipes are supplied to the apartments - direct and return. With vertical wiring, several heating risers are installed in the apartment at once. In this case, meters will have to be installed on each pipe, which will reduce all savings to nothing.
