The system of payment for heating will change in Russia. What you need to know

In spring, Russia will ban the transition to monthly payments for heating services throughout the year. Regions will have to adhere to the system, under which the population is charged only in the cold autumn-winter period on the basis of actual consumption. How the cost of heating in apartment buildings is calculated - in the material "Izvestia".

What changes will occur

- On March 1, the Russian government decree № 1176 of August 29, 2024 will come into force in Russia. It introduces a number of changes to regulations concerning the heating of apartment buildings and the procedure for calculating payments for the provision of this service. One of the innovations concerns the system by which heating payments will be calculated.

- According to the decree, Russian regions will be able to decide to switch to only one method of payment - during the heating season. Previously, the existing rules also offered a choice of paying evenly throughout the year, but now it cannot be approved. However, if such a system has already been chosen by the region before 2025, it will continue to apply from now on.

- Commenting on this change, Dmitry Nifontov, deputy director of the Department of Housing and Utilities Development of the Ministry of Construction, said that the state will encourage payment for heating according to the fact. It is assumed that such a system will be more convenient and cause more confidence among consumers, as they will not have to pay for a service they do not have to pay for in the summer.

What are the ways of paying for heating

- There are currently two systems for calculating heating payments in Russia. The government-encouraged payment during the heating season is sometimes also called "pay-as-you-go" or "1/7 (or 1/8) payment" based on the number of months in which the heating service appears on receipts.

- If the house has a common metering device (CMD), it measures the total heat consumption in gigacalories (Gcal) every month. Depending on the occupied living space, the owners pay a share of the total consumption according to a pre-approved tariff. If individual metering devices (IMDs) are installed in the apartments, the heat cost is adjusted to account for personal consumption. Changes in heat supply due to warmer or colder winters are immediately reflected in the payments.

- Another system is payment during the year, or "1/12 payment". In this case, the average monthly values of the common meter for the previous year are taken into account. If the meter has been installed recently, the arithmetic average for the last six months is calculated, not 12 months. This share is paid evenly by the owners depending on the area of their apartments.

- Since each year's winter can be warmer or colder than the previous year, the house needs a different amount of heat each time. To make the energy payment fair, an adjustment is calculated at the beginning of each year to compare the heat actually consumed with the heat actually paid for. If it turns out that the residents overpaid for heating, the next payments will be lower. If it turns out that the service was not paid in full, the cost will increase.

Winter tariff: how the payment for heating will change from March 1, 2025

Regions that switched to paying only in winter months will not be able to return to the old system

- In Moscow, the system of year-round payment operates in a slightly modified form. For calculations, meter readings are used for five years instead of one year, and the minimum number of months for calculation is three instead of six. Muscovites also pay for heating in the summer, but the adjustments they have without sharp jumps.

- For the family budget there is no fundamental difference, which system to choose, - the owners of apartments in any case will pay the same amount according to the tariff (if it remains unchanged). It will just happen either directly at the end of the month or in the future, when the calculations will be adjusted. The two systems differ only in the "speed of reaction" to weather changes and the amount of heat supplied to the house.

How to pay for heating a house without a meter

- Both calculation systems are also applicable when the house does not have a common heat meter. This sometimes happens if the house does not have the technical conditions for its installation or if the building requires major repairs, it is recognized as dilapidated or emergency. Then the norms of its consumption are used to calculate the payment for heating.

- The norms are approved by regional and local authorities, so they will often be very different for different localities. When determining the norms may take into account such factors as the year of construction of the house, its floor, the material of the walls, dilapidation and wear and tear, as well as major repairs.

- The norms do not take into account how much heat will actually be consumed and how weather conditions will affect the energy supply of the house. Therefore, the absence of a common meter usually leads to higher heating costs. However, if the house still consumes more heat than the norm implies, it will be more favorable for the residents.

- If heating is paid according to the norms, there is practically no difference between paying during the heating season and all year round. Users will either make equal payments every month or save up for heating in winter in summer.