Areas Of Responsibility Or To Whom And How To Complain About Poor Heating Phones And Websites

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Rules for the beginning of the heating season, standard temperatures
• Air temperature standards
• Reasons for the lack of heat
• Heat supply organization
• The area of responsibility of the management company
• Consumer zone
• Solving problems with heat supply
• Call to the management company
• Application to the management company
• What's next?
• We write complaints, contact higher organizations
• How to write a complaint correctly

Most of the population of cities and towns lives in multi-storey buildings and depend on centralized heating. This circumstance a priori puts tenants in a position where they cannot influence the timing of the start of heating. It happens that the heating in the apartment does not work when the neighbors are already warm. What to do, what are the reasons, how to eliminate? The answers to these questions are useful for anyone who is completely dependent on district heating.

Rules for the beginning of the heating season, standard temperatures

Russia is a huge country with many climatic zones. If it is still hot in the south, frosts cover Siberia and the Far East, snow falls. Hence, the start time of the heating period unambiguously depends on the air temperature of a particular area.

The beginning of the heating period or the suspension is unambiguously regulated by the rules on the provision of utilities by the Government Decree No. 354 on 2011-05-06 (as amended on 2017-09-09). It says here that the heating period should begin if the average daily temperature of the environment is below +8 ⁰ C for 5 consecutive days.

In this case, the heat carrier of the central system must be supplied uninterruptedly and around the clock for the entire heating period (Appendix No. 1, paragraph 14 No. 354). Breaks for maintenance and adjustment of thermal systems are allowed:

• no more than 24 hours in total per month;
• no more than 16 hours at a time, while maintaining the air temperature of residential premises + 12 ⁰ С;
• no more than 8 hours at a time while maintaining the temperature of +8 degrees;
• 4 hours keeping the temperature +8 degrees.

For each hour of exceeding the break, the amount of payment for the use of thermal energy is reduced by 0.15% (Appendix No. 2 of the Rules, section 9).

Air temperature standards

Resolution No. 354 regulates the standard air temperatures of individual rooms during the heating season (GOST R 51617-2014):

• living rooms, kitchens, toilets: +18 - 20 ⁰ С;
• bathroom: +25 ⁰ С;
• corridors, staircases: +16 ⁰ С.

How, where to go about heating in an apartment if the air temperature in the premises does not meet the standards, read below. The overall responsibility and control over the implementation of Resolution No. 354 rests with the heat supply organizations, the management office, local government bodies (Law No. 190-FZ).

It would seem that the laws of the Russian Federation provide for the rules for centralized heating of apartment buildings, they stand guard over the rights of consumers. But what to do if these laws are violated, what to do, where to complain about the lack of heating in an apartment or house.

Reasons for the lack of heat

There are many options for not supplying coolant to consumers, but a sharp drop in temperature forces home owners to act energetically. Let us analyze separately, according to the areas of responsibility, determined by the legislative acts of the Russian Federation, non-delivery of energy resources, their possible reasons.

Before writing a complaint about the lack of heating in an apartment, decide on the reason to whom to make a claim.

Heat supply organization

When drawing up an agreement between the management company and the heat supplying organization, the boundary of responsibility for the regime, the quality of the provision of utilities is indicated (paragraph 21 of Resolution No. 354). The heat supplying organization is responsible for the state of the heating main to the first shut-off valve of the heating unit of the general house heat supply system.

The lack of coolant flow has the following reasons:

1. There was no period when the air temperature for 5 consecutive days dropped below +8 ⁰ С (Government Decree No. 354). Here is the question that there is no heating in the apartment, which is not worth complaining about, the heating period has not yet begun. There will be no heat in all apartment buildings powered by this boiler house.
2. The boiler room equipment is faulty or there was a rush on the heating main during pressure testing. Here the organization itself will try to remove the malfunction as soon as possible. Complaints about violation of consumer rights can be sent to the management company if the air temperature of residential premises is below the standard.
3. Insufficient coolant temperature or low pressure.

The area of responsibility of the management company

The area of responsibility of the Criminal Code includes the entire heat supply system of an apartment building from the heating input unit. This includes shut-off and distribution fittings, inlet and outlet pipes, a general house meter, and risers.

Areas of responsibility for the condition of the district heating system

When the house has a zoned floor-by-floor distribution of the coolant, the area of responsibility ends at the first shut-off valve of the apartment heating system of the floor heating unit.

The management company must ensure favorable and safe living conditions for citizens, proper maintenance of common home property, and provide high-quality utilities (paragraph 31 of Resolution No. 354).

Malfunctions that often occur in the inside of the home heating system:

1. A rupture of a pressure pipe in a heating point or distribution system, including risers, during pressure testing, after it.
2. Malfunction of shut-off, control valves.
3. Imbalance of the system, everything works, but the heating battery in the apartment does not heat well.
4. Residual air in the system.

In these cases, the problems are solved by the technical means of the management company in the shortest possible time. The batteries will stay cold throughout the apartment building or individual floors along a particular riser.

Ask your neighbors how they have heating, whether all the batteries are hot, which riser does not work, perhaps they have already filed a complaint about poor heating in the apartment, where to complain to you. Imbalance occurs when there is a lack of pressure, malfunction of the balancing pair of valves of a particular riser. It happens that a neighbor from below has not been authorized to change devices for new ones, with a higher hydraulic resistance, for which he will be punished (paragraphs 35 c, d, from No. 354).

Consumer zone

With a riser system, wiring, starting with a tie-in into a riser, pressure pipes, return lines, heating elements of an apartment - all this is included in the consumer's area of responsibility. With zoned floor wiring, this zone starts from the first shut-off valve towards the apartment or control cabinet.

The consumer is fully responsible for the condition of the heat supply system of the apartment. Hence, it makes no sense to complain if there is no heating in your apartment, you can make an emergency call through the dispatch service to shut off the coolant supply at the scene of the accident.

In addition, the consumer is financially responsible to other residents affected by the accident. With zoned floor wiring, the consumer can freely install any heating elements, even mount heated floors with a connection to a central pipeline.

For any of the above options for faults, contact the management company to resolve the issue. She is the first place to go if there are problems with heating in the apartment.

Solving problems with heat supply

Legislation establishes, and legal practice shows that issues are resolved at the intradepartmental level. File a complaint with a higher authority in the event of a conflict, when there is no other way out but to resort to tough measures.

The procedure for resolving the issue of a complaint about the lack of a comfortable temperature or non-compliance with established standards is divided into several stages.

Call to the management company

The first thing to do if the system pipes burst or the air temperature of the residential premises drops below the standard indicators - call the emergency dispatch service of the management company, make a request for urgent elimination of the cause of the accident.

Throw away emotions, speak calmly and specifically about what happened - the dispatcher is also a person on duty.

By phone, inform:

1. Full name of the caller.
2. Full address.
3. The problem that has arisen.

Before the end of the conversation, find out who received the telephone message (position, full name), the number under which the call was registered, when to expect a representative, fix the time. The emergency call of the management company is obliged to serve in 2 - 3 hours

Application to the management company

A call to the management company is important when an emergency call is made to a technician for the immediate correction of an accident. What to do, where to complain about the heating in the apartment when the system is turned on, and the batteries heat up weakly, the air temperature does not rise to the standard. Visit the Criminal Code in person, write a statement or complaint to correct the current situation.

A sample application to the management company with the requirement to measure the temperature in the apartment

В _ (name

Management company)

From: _, Address: _.

Statement

I, _ (full name), am the owner of an apartment at the above address in a building that is managed by your organization.

In my apartment, during the period from _ to _, there are cold batteries, and the temperature in the apartment is below the standard established by the Sanitary and Epidemiological Rules and SanPiN 2.1.2.2645-10, p. 4.3, 4.4, 4.8, 4.9, Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 p. 49-n),

Based on the foregoing

I demand to measure the temperature in the apartment in accordance with the sanitary and epidemiological requirements for living conditions in residential buildings and premises.

"_" _ 2018 _ (_)

Take with you:

• the passport,
• house book,
• agreement with the Criminal Code.

Contact the dispatcher with a complaint, correctly state the problem. Take a standard form or a sample statement about the lack of heating in the apartment, state your claims in writing. Be sure to indicate:

1. In the header - who you are contacting (the head of the organization), your data (full name, full address).
2. The body of the application - what is the problem, the time of the beginning of the situation, the state of the air temperature of the living quarters, please send a commission to consider the complaint, examine, draw up an act.
3. At the end - full name, date, signature.

It is advisable to write a statement in 2 copies. The dispatcher will put the stamp of the organization, indicate the incoming number and date on both copies, take one for yourself. The Criminal Code has no right not to accept the application.

On the basis of Law No. 354 (clauses 31 a, i, j): the contractor is obliged to provide the consumer with the services of the required volumes, accept and respond within the established time limits for consumer messages about poor quality or intermittent provision of services, keep a record of complaints, statements, claims.

Within 3 days, the Criminal Code is obliged to give an answer to the application (complaint), draw up a commission, conduct a survey of the premises, draw up an act on the lack of heating in the apartment or the discrepancy between the standard temperature of the premises. The act is drawn up in 2 copies. If a refusal is received, the reasons for the refusal are indicated.

In the application, you can specify the requirements for changing the payment for utilities of inadequate quality, breaks (paragraph 33 d No. 354) or for compensation for losses and harm to health (paragraph 33 e).

Important! Before the arrival of the commission, be sure to eliminate the places of possible heat leakage from the apartment and drafts - the appearance in the act of a clause on the misuse of premises will have an extremely negative effect on the next steps to resolve the issue.

What's next?

The issue is not resolved - write a claim (complaint) to the Criminal Code for violation of direct obligations for the provision of utilities. This is a step towards conflict, but without it there is no point in writing complaints against the Criminal Code at the next level. The claim is made in 2 copies.

Sample claim for lack of heating in the apartment

Try to call the hot lines of the housing inspection, Rospotrebnadzor, prosecutors - organizations that monitor the activities of the Criminal Code, ZhEK and other utilities. This will help to get free consultations on issues of interest, to outline further steps.

Rospotrebnadzor hotline: 8 (800) 100-00-04.

We write complaints, contact higher organizations

When you receive a reply to an application and a claim, the Criminal Code does not take steps to eliminate the shortcomings of the heating network, a conflict is brewing on this basis - write a complaint to a higher authority for non-observance of consumer rights by the management company.

In Moscow, you can complain if there is no heating in the apartment using the hot lines of the Moscow Housing Inspection of each separate administrative district. For a complete list of telephones, see here. The hotline number for housing and communal services in Moscow is 8 (495) 681-77-80 - hotline. Website www.mgi.mos.ru

Dispatchers of the Moscow Housing and Utilities Department answer the following phone numbers: 8 (495) 681-05-49, 8 (495) 681-73-67. They will independently figure out to whom to send a person to solve a specific problem, to which authorities to write a complaint, details, phone numbers, e-mail addresses. Information and advice on complaints is provided free of charge from 10.00 to 17.00 on weekdays.

Hot line phones for lack of heating in city apartments for consumers in other regions. The main ones are for turning on the heating, additional ones are for emergency services.

How to write a complaint correctly

Partial or complete satisfaction of the claims, administrative, material punishment of the management of the Criminal Code depends on how correctly the complaint is written. Here are some tips for writing a complaint:

• indicate only real facts of violation of consumer rights, support with the relevant clauses of the laws of the Russian Federation;
• the complaint is written in a dry, concise language, emotions are not allowed;
• complaints with the use of non-normative vocabulary are not considered;
• attach copies of acts, statements, claims to the complaint.
• the complaint contains the name of the organization, the full name of the official, the position, your data and the full address to which the response will be sent.
• first instance - Rospotrebnadzor (clause 19 of the regulations on consumer protection rules);
• a written request requiring an urgent response is considered 5 days, an ordinary one - 30 days from the date of registration (part 1 of article 19 No. 59).

Based on the results of the consideration, if there are grounds, measures are taken to eliminate violations, measures to bring the persons who committed violations to administrative or financial liability. Further actions to contact higher organizations will require the involvement of lawyers to accompany the case.

Fight for the right to receive full and complete utilities. This is the direct responsibility of the management company and heat supply organizations. Judicial practice shows a high percentage of winning cases.