On Thursday, September 24, new rules for the verification of household meters came into force in Russia.

Now only entries in the electronic register of Rosstandart have legal force, and paper certificates will be for reference only, and they will be issued only at the request of users.

“The amendments that have come into force establish the priority of electronic registration of the results of registration of verification and approval of types of measuring instruments, which will become the only legally significant confirmation of the results of metrological work.

Without the transfer of information to the Federal Information Fund for Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements (FSIS "Arshin"), the results of metrological work will not be valid, "said the head of Rosstandart Alexei Abramov.

His words are quoted by TASS.

Within 24 hours, specialists will enter data on meter verification into the register of the Federal State Information System "Arshin".

The meter owner will also be able to access this information.

He indicated that the owner of the measuring device will have access to this data in the section of the system "Information on the results of verification of measuring instruments" by the serial number of the meter.

According to him, legislative innovations will help protect consumers from fraudsters. 

“Citizens do not need to do anything specifically.

It is enough to get acquainted with the FSIS "Arshin", to understand how it works, to check your device by an individual number, "Abramov emphasized.

The new rules are related to the law on smart metering of electricity, which entered into force on July 1, 2020.

According to the law, the guaranteeing suppliers (SPS) of electricity are required to install smart meters in apartment buildings at their own expense, and grid companies - in the commercial sector and in private houses.

In case of non-compliance with the requirements, fines are provided.

Until the end of 2020, there is a moratorium on the verification of household meters introduced in connection with the COVID-19 coronavirus infection pandemic.

Resource supplying and management companies are obliged to take readings of devices even with an expired verification period, and at the same time, forfeits, fines and penalties cannot be collected from citizens.

"It is important that people are notified of the changes in time"

Artyom Kiryanov, the first deputy chairman of the commission of the Public Chamber of Russia on public control, commented in an interview with RT that technical progress is taking place at a fairly rapid pace, including in the housing sector.

“In this sense, it is quite obvious that in the near future we will abandon all formats related to paper media, because it is inconvenient, expensive and pointless,” Kiryanov stressed.

According to him, at the moment, not even the first generation meters have been created, which can transmit data online.

“Today we are talking about all new buildings being equipped with this type of meters.

Accordingly, in general, the concept needs to be supported, but the only thing that is important is that people are informed in time that the rules of the game are changing, the specific conditions are changing according to the situation with the counters, "the interlocutor of RT concluded. 

In turn, Svetlana Razorotneva, executive director of NP Housing and Utilities Control, member of the Public Chamber of Russia, pointed out that the new rules for checking the data meter, which will be entered into the databases on the websites of regional metrological services, will make the situation in this area more transparent.

“Unfortunately, there are a lot of complaints, a lot of problems associated with the fact that fraudsters turn to people, they say that the calibration interval has ended, an urgent verification is needed.

Often people, not having documents on previous checks, believe, although not only for this reason, because there is an emotional factor.

In any case, the creation of such a register will allow people to check the information again, to see when the next verification should be, "she said.

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The executive director of NP "Housing and Communal Services Control" also added that another register of approved metering devices will appear, which will help to remove a conflict situation associated with the fact that the resource supplying organization often asks to install only the recommended metering device in houses, while it is already in operation another device.

“Here, too, this register and a link to it will help remove these conflicts.

In addition, the owners' time will be saved, they may not need to send them to the management company that supplies information about the verification performed in order to put the device into operation by an attorney.

Although, of course, this is not enough, because often not everyone knows how to use a computer and, of course, there should be additional measures to clarify and inform citizens, ”Razorotneva explained.