Homeowners are required to install utility meters

Law

At the legislative level, the issue is regulated by:

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 776. Contains rules for the use of water resources.
Federal Law No. 261.
Government Decree No. 306. Establishes tariffs for residents who do not have meters installed.

The list of documents is not final, since in each region the administration can make its own amendments to the laws, expanding the list of persons applying for the free service of installing meters. In addition, the local administration may change the procedure for registering the device.

Who should install

According to the law, the owner of the apartment can personally decide to install the meter, replace it or verify it. The simplest action would be to write to the homeowners association or management company in order to install a device meter, since the employees of these organizations are engaged in their commissioning and sealing.
The main thing in installation is determining the installation location. Basic technical recommendations should be contained in the device passport.
But a residential plumbing diagram may be required. A copy can be obtained from the service organization.

After deciding to install water meters, you can contact the management office or use the services of another organization involved in installation of devices. After concluding an agreement with the management company or HOA, within 30 days, company employees must install the device and put it into operation.

ATTENTION! Installing water consumption monitoring devices can significantly reduce water supply costs. You can also independently control the amount of water consumed.

Are water meters required in apartments?

In 2009, Federal Law No. 261-FZ was adopted, which provided for the obligation of residential property owners to install monitoring devices for consumed utility resources. Further clarification was given in Government Resolution No. 354, which supplemented the existing law. However, the implementation of the law was constantly postponed, and its final implementation began only in 2020.

As a general rule, installation of devices is carried out at the expense of the owner of the residential premises. To do this, he must contact the management company or other authorized organization and leave an application.

In new buildings

If an apartment is purchased in a new building, then metering devices in each residential premises are installed by the developer. The rule is in effect to apply the law on increasing energy efficiency. All apartments must be put into operation with meters not only for water, but also for other resources.

The State Commission will not allow the sale of real estate that does not meet the requirements of the law (including without metering devices) . When purchasing housing from a developer, you must immediately pay attention to the presence of meters. Their absence must be indicated in the apartment transfer and acceptance certificate. Based on this document, the developer must install metering devices.

Who is not affected by the mandatory installation of water meters?

Back at the end of 2011, by order of the Ministry of Regional Development No. 627, citizens’ right not to install water meters was secured, but this provision applies only in certain cases:

1.If the house is dilapidated or in disrepair;

2.If the house is subject to demolition or major repairs;

3.If an apartment building consumes a small amount of electricity (less than 5 kW).

There are also conditions related directly to the apartment, under which the mandatory installation of water meters is not required. The meter may not be installed in an apartment where its installation without reconstruction, major repairs or the construction of new engineering systems is impossible.

There are three more reasons that allow citizens not to spend money on a water meter:

1.If, when installing the meter, it is impossible to comply with the mandatory rules regarding the installation and location of the water meter;

2. If it is known in advance that the requirements for the operation of this meter will be violated (for example, this concerns temperature conditions, threats of flooding, etc.);

3. If after installing the meter it will be impossible to take readings from it, perform maintenance or change it if necessary.

The above conditions must be documented, that is, you will have to call specialists of the appropriate profile to draw up an inspection report on the water meter.

In a non-privatized apartment

Commercial owners or government officials are responsible for installing water flow metering devices.

Tenants under a social tenancy agreement do not want to be responsible for the condition of the property, including installation of meters.

However, the owner of municipal property is not able to keep track of all residential real estate, although this is their responsibility . The situation can be corrected by introducing into the social tenancy agreement a clause on the employer’s responsibility for installing meters or an additional agreement to the document.

How to install meters in an apartment

To install the device in an apartment, you must contact a management company or another organization that provides such services. In the second case, it is important to check whether you have a valid permit to engage in such activities.

The purchase of the device, as well as the work of the specialist, is paid for by the owner himself.

In some regions, there are benefits for social groups of the population, and installation is carried out at a discount or free of charge. Metering devices are installed in pairs: hot and cold water meters. The average cost including work depends on the device model and region and starts from 3 thousand rubles.

The called specialist will carry out the installation, put a seal and take the first readings, after which the utility company will begin to supply water according to tariffs, and not according to the standard.

The law allows for the possibility of self-installation of the device, but subject to certain rules.

To install the device yourself, you should contact the management company or another organization in advance and conclude an agreement with it on further maintenance. After installation and performance testing, it is necessary to call a specialist who must carry out an inspection and put a seal. Such services are usually paid, but the cost is lower than in the first case.

It is important to note that if the residential premises are not owned by the tenant, the owner must pay for all work performed. When living under a social tenancy agreement, the maintenance of the property in proper condition is ensured by the municipality.

We remind you that even if you thoroughly study all the data that is in the public domain, this will not replace the experience of professional lawyers! To get a detailed free consultation and resolve your issue as reliably as possible, you can contact specialists through the online form .

On one's own

Not a single law or government regulation contains information prohibiting the installation of water meters on your own. But first you need to familiarize yourself with some nuances:

What counters can be installed.
Where should they be placed correctly?
What documents reflect the rules for installing the device.

Meters that are included in the State Register of Measurements are allowed for installation. Information about the certificate must be indicated in the device passport, and the installation location in SNiPs. The greatest difficulty when installing devices without outside help is their registration with regulatory authorities.

The law states that the homeowner must put the device into operation no later than 15 working days from the date of submission of the application to the Criminal Code. If no one comes to inspect the device, a repeated application is written. If after another 15 days the employees of the executive organization have not appeared, then it is put into operation from the moment the first application is submitted.

Documentation

To install water consumption monitoring devices, you must collect the following documents:

Original and copy of the applicant's civil passport.
Application in writing.
Papers establishing title to living space.
Technical passport of the real estate.

To conclude an agreement with the property owner you need:

Agreement for installation of a meter.
Technical data sheet of the metering device.
Certificate of conformity.
A certificate confirming the commissioning of the device. Must contain the serial number of the device, the date of its installation, as well as the initial readings.

The management company can help with choosing a contractor organization by providing a list of them. After completing the installation procedure, the service provider must provide:

Technical data sheet for the device.
An act of provision of services with a mandatory guarantee.
Document on commissioning of the meter.
Documents confirming the sealing of the device.
A certificate that reflects compliance with legal requirements.

After entering the meter data into the user's personal account, subsequent payment for water occurs based on the readings of the meter.

Procedure for installing water meters

The law on hot and cold water meters was adopted in 2015. It is aimed at ensuring that apartment owners must install water consumption meters in their homes. This should significantly save your rent. For those who have not done this, consumption is calculated according to general standards, which increase annually by 20-25%. Therefore, to save money and water resources, many have already installed meters.

The responsibility to install water meters lies with the organization managing the house or the HOA. If a specialist comes to the house, then by law he must provide the apartment owner with documents certifying his right to service devices for metering resource consumption. After mounting the devices, the technician leaves the following package of documents:

Technical passport for meters;
Certificate of provision of services for the installation of water meters, and further maintenance for the warranty period;
Document on commissioning of the meter for registration of devices in the Criminal Code;
An act with a list of manipulations performed, the identifier of the device for filling, the price for installation;
Certificate of conformity to check with the management company whether the meter is installed correctly, whether there is a seal, and whether the received data is entered into the owner’s LC.

According to the law, from the moment changes are made to the personal account, the calculation of water tariffs will be carried out according to meter data.

Read the Law on Banking Activities in the Russian Federation

Individual cases

It is possible to refuse to install meters. You don't have to install them if:

An apartment building belongs to the category “building with low energy consumption”.
The building is deemed unsafe or dilapidated by regulatory authorities.
If communication systems are faulty and require replacement.
It is impossible to read meter readings due to the design of the water wiring.

If at least one of the above situations occurs in a residential building, you must definitely visit the management organization, which can document this fact.

There are situations when the management company or HOA cannot provide evidence. In this case, you will need to contact Rospotrebnadzor with an application. Based on it, a specialist will arrive at your address and draw up the necessary conclusion.

Lifetime

Over time, water meters break down. As a result, actual indicators are distorted. The service life of the meter for cold water is 6 years, for hot water - 4 years. The hot water supply wears out faster due to exposure to high temperatures and added chemicals.

If verification of the device shows that the device is in good condition, then it is used until the next verification. Basically, meters are used for up to 12 years. Both the owner of the property and the management office must monitor the validity of water meters. If a citizen does not provide information on time, then the amount for water is charged according to the standards.

ATTENTION! They produce universal meters that can immediately show readings of both cold and hot water. Their temperature range is from 0 to 90°C.