The Cabinet of Ministers today approved a new draft of the Regulation on the provision and payment of municipal and non-municipal services, promoted by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development.

As the approved legislative amendments are aimed at providing the population with electricity, heat and natural gas, the Ministry of Energy would like to draw attention to the following important issues:

- Concerning the distribution of direct/indirect consumption of heat energy between units within a residential block connected to the centralized heat energy supply system

- As of October 1 of each year, it is obligatory for tenants, tenants' associations and/or managers of blocks of flats to submit the mechanism for allocating heat consumption to the thermal energy units. If this mechanism is not submitted, the building will not be connected to the centralized heat supply system until 1 December. If it is also not submitted by December 1, the block of flats will be connected in compliance with the provisions of the Methodology of the new Regulation.

- To correct the inequity between commercial premises (which are higher in height compared to other floors) and other units, a coefficient has been introduced to take into account the heated volume.

- In the case of disconnected apartments with exterior walls in perpendicular (corner) planes, the payment for their heating is calculated by applying a 1/1.2 reduction coefficient.

- The ceiling/ceiling or floor payment component has also been excluded for apartments disconnected from SACET and located on the first or top floor.

- On the distribution/distribution of the hot water volume registered by the common meter

- The volume of hot water registered by the common meter of the apartment block is distributed to the condominium units by the association/manager/managing agent according to the decision of the general assembly. If the method of apportionment is not determined in accordance with the legislation, the differences are apportioned in proportion to the individual consumption:

1) To all owners/tenants of individually metered units confirmed by the association representative/manager or electronic means.

2) Only to the owners/tenants of unmetered units or who have not confirmed the individual meter data - in the case of blocks with metered and unmetered units.

- On the distribution of electricity consumption for communal lighting and elevator operation.

The association/manager may request the distribution system operator to disconnect indebted consumers from the electricity grid in order to prevent the accumulation of debts by the entire block and the possible disconnection of electricity for common areas and elevators.

The apportionment of electricity consumption for communal lighting and the operation of elevators will be carried out by the supplier according to the proportion of the total floor area of the units, and, if the apportionment is made by the manager, it will be apportioned in proportion to the number of people living in the block.