The Verkhovna Rada obliged to install meters for heat and water in all the houses

Thanks to the implementation of provisions of this law, Ukraine will be able to move away from the “relic of the Soviet era”

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the law on commercial accounting utilities, which provides for the mandatory installation of house metering devices (meters) of heat consumption, hot and cold water non-residential (up to 1 October 2017) and residential (up to 1 October 2018) buildings.

For the adoption of the bill No. 4901 voted 238 deputies with the required minimum of 226 votes.

“The main purpose of the law is the transition to a 100% accounting of heat consumption, hot and drinking water with the help of counters that will not allow you to shift the ordinary citizen excessive losses of monopolists and lay the principle under which each will pay only the amounts the utilities, which it is actually consumed,” – said the MP from the faction “people’s front” Vitaly Stashuk, presenting the bill.

According to him, due to the implementation of provisions of this law, Ukraine will be able to move away from the “relic of the Soviet era” – norms of energy consumption.

During the discussion of the bill deputies have supported the changes, according to which the costs of installation, replacement and service of metering units (meters) incurred by the operator of the network (supplying company) will be reimbursed at the expense of consumers.

According to the explanatory note, the draft law envisages the introduction of compulsory commercial accounting of thermal energy, hot and drinking water, because only 22% of apartment buildings in Ukraine are house the metering of thermal energy. It is also noted that the low level energy limits the ability to use them effectively.

The law obliges to equip all buildings connected to the thermal and water networks, household metering devices for hot and cold water. To install such meters shall be the operator of the external network (utility companies or utility) for non-residential premises – up to 1 October 2017, and living until October 1, 2018. These deadlines will also need to invest and landlords installing individual metering devices.

Thus, the law provides for a mandatory instrument of commercial utility metering (at the building entrance), as well as distribution account (piping).

The deadline for implementation of commercial accounting of heat in the course of a year from the date of entry into force of the Law, commercial water metering within two years, and distribution records for three years.

The law defined:
– the mechanism of payment for installation, replacement and service of metering units (determined for each house separately);
– list the required information for billing for utilities and access to such information;
– General order of access units of accounting;
– liability for failure to comply with the law.

The adoption of the Law will allow to reduce by ¾ the volume of unaccounted-for-water in-house systems and reduce the consumption of thermal energy for 1-3 years on average by 15-20%, which in turn will reduce gas consumption and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

The law also prohibits to connect to networks of new buildings that are not equipped with metering devices.

Read also: Ukrainians massively installed heat meters

According to this document, after the installation of meters for all calculations for the heat consumption, hot and drinking water needs will also be undertaken exclusively according to the counters.

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