Govt to recommend Naftogaz to ensure installation of gas meters for households at expense of Naftogaz
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine will recommend to national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy to provide households with gas meters at the expense of the company, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said at a government meeting on Wednesday.
"The decision that will make today will have a recommendation to Naftogaz Ukrainy to provide all citizens of Ukraine with meters free of charge," he said.
He said that the Economic Development and Trade Ministry will envisage the required amount in the financial plan of Naftogaz Ukrainy.
"Then we will know for sure who produces how much gas, where it supplies and how much it consumes... I want a gas meter at the expense of Naftogaz in the shortest possible time, as far as possible, in each household of Ukraine and we will take into account its expenses in the financial plan," the prime minister said.
Earlier, NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy called on household consumers of natural gas without meters, who receive massively bills calculated on the basis of excessive consumption rates, to send relevant complaints to the government hotline.
Naftogaz considered that the presence of a large number of appeals could contribute to the prompt adoption of a document aimed at resolving the situation around consumption limits by the Cabinet of Ministers.
As reported, the cassation administrative court of the Supreme Court at the end of November 2018 canceled the action established by decision No. 203 (which was adopted in violation of the regulations) of the Cabinet of Ministers on the limits of natural gas consumption for residential consumers without meters. Instead, the previous decisions (made in government resolution No. 619 dated June 8, 1996, and amended on October 1, 2014) that have the limits set two and three times higher came into force.
In the repealed resolution the gas consumption rate was set at 3.3 cubic meters per person for households with a gas stove and centralized hot running water; 5.4 cubic meters - with a gas stove, without centralized hot running water and a water heater; 10.5 cubic meters - with a gas stove and a water heater. Resolution No. 619 that the newly entered into force sets the limits at 9.8 cubic meters, 18.3 cubic meters and 23.6 cubic meters per person, respectively.
On the basis of the difference between these limits, customers of regional gas supply companies in December 2018 began to receive bills, taking into account the debt accumulated over 30 months. However, the regional gas companies said that the amount of debt accrued during the period of the undervalued, in their opinion, limits was given solely for informational purposes and it is not payable. At the same time, they said that subsequent bills will be coming, taking into account the increased rates.