When is it necessary to check the meters, and is there an option to avoid the procedure and not break the law

A resident of a large city has many services from city utilities. He is supplied with cold and hot water to his apartment, the apartment is heated by city thermal stations, electricity comes from power plants, burners burn in the kitchens gas stoves. The city spends money on all this. And residents reimburse them in the form of utility bills. Some payments are assessed simply by the fact that they are made, but for energy resources - water, electricity, heat - you need to pay based on the actual consumption - according to the approved tariff. In order to stimulate the population to install flow meters, the so-called "normative payment" is introduced. According to the standards, you have to pay several times more than the meters.

Counters require regular "verification" - checking their performance with an accuracy that is not less than that recorded in their passport. If the verification is not done on time, then you will have to pay according to the standards. The owner of the meters must himself monitor when it is necessary to do the verification, while he, of course, is interested in the question of whether there is an option to avoid this mandatory procedure.

What is "meter verification"

Any meter is a "metrological" device. This means that it was created for the purpose of taking measurements, presenting the results and recording them. In the situation under consideration, the meters measure the consumption of cold and hot water consumed (water meters), heat (heat meters) and electricity (electric meters).

The technical characteristics of the device, recorded in its technical documentation, determine the accuracy with which the device of this type must perform its work under certain operating conditions. Counters are self-supporting devices, i.e. according to their indications, the payment for the consumed energy is made. If the counter overestimates the reading, then the consumer will have to pay for more than he actually spent. If the device underestimates the readings, then the energy supplier will not receive his legal right.

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But the absolute accuracy of measuring the real and measured flow is impossible to achieve, there will always be a deviation, albeit small, but a deviation. Therefore, each device has an approved accuracy class, which legalizes the permissible deviation of the measured value from the real one, this is in the region of two to five percent of the instrument's scale. During operation, the parts of the device wear out, and its accuracy decreases. The magnitude of the measurement error can go beyond the regulated limits, and in any direction. It is prohibited to operate a device with a measurement error higher than the permitted one. The device must either be repaired or replaced with a serviceable one.

It is to control the accuracy of the measuring device that there is such a technological operation - "verification". It determines the compliance of the meter with the metrological requirements recorded in its passport.

How is verification performed

The meters can be checked at the place of installation, or you can dismantle it for better checking it in the laboratory. The laboratory is equipped with special equipment with higher accuracy class values. There are also so-called "pouring installations", which form a reference flow through the calibrated meter, and it is compared with the readings of the calibrated device. After verification, a decision is made on the suitability or unsuitability of the device being verified for further work.

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Verification at home is much cheaper. Some metrological services are equipped with the necessary equipment, standards and permits to calibrate instruments without removing the seals.

PHOTO: vgkh.ru

Registration of verification results

If the verification shows a measurement error of less than 5%, which is an acceptable value, the device can be returned to operation. Otherwise, he will need to be replaced with a new one. At the same time, both the purchase of a new one and its installation are paid by the tenant of the apartment. The verification results are entered in the technical passport. If the owner of the device refuses to replace it, he will have to pay according to the standards.

Verification at the installation site is estimated from 400 to 1,500 rubles, laboratory - up to 2,000 rubles. Beneficial tenants receive discounts.

The verification ends with the execution of an act, which contains information about the owner, the serial number of the meter, date of its installation, data of the company that installed the equipment. The meter's passport contains the date of its manufacture and commissioning. The verification certificate indicates the date of the next verification.

All documents are handed over to the management company or HOA to register the meter. The technical passport and the commissioning certificate are transferred to a single information and settlement center.

Related article:

How to transfer meter readings for electricity. In this article, we will consider in detail how to transfer data through a call center and an operator, using SMS, at the company's office, through a post office box, via the Internet, as well as useful tips.

Suspension of compulsory verification

The tense epidemiological situation in the country forced the Government of the Russian Federation to suspend the mandatory verification of metering devices until January 1, 2021. In this regard, the Resolution dated 02.04.2020 No. 424 was issued.

Individuals - consumers of utilities - have the right to use all household metering devices, including those whose verification period has expired. Until January 1, 2021, the next verification can be omitted. The readings of such PU will be accepted for calculating the payment of consumed utilities without fines and penalties.

Conclusion

Metering devices for consumed energy resources are a technical means of implementing self-supporting relations between residents and suppliers of services and goods. The principle of their verification does not depend on the physical nature of the energy carrier - the reference standardized flow rate is compared with the measurement result. But this method of calculating by instrument readings imposes on residents a number of obligations to monitor normal operating conditions and to check them in a timely manner.