Is it legal to cut off power due to repair work?

An uninterrupted supply of electricity is considered an important condition for creating prosperous living conditions. This is important for both residential buildings and industrial organizations.

The fact is that a power outage can cause serious losses for a business . That is why it is worth thinking about in which cases a shutdown is legal, planned, and in which it is not. If the situation is emergency, then you need to find out how long the power supply may be interrupted.

Shutdown standards

Today there are certain standards that regulate the specifics of power outages and determine time intervals. In particular, this is the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 442 “On the functioning of retail markets for electrical energy, complete and (or) partial restrictions on the consumption of electrical energy.”

In connection with this resolution, restrictions are introduced:

• if the consumer has violated the terms specified in the agreement, these may be financial obligations, unauthorized connection to the network;
• by mutual decision;
• due to renovation work;
• by decision of Rospotrebnadzor;
• due to breakdown or emergency.

Suppliers must provide notice when the lights are turned on and when they are turned off. This applies to situations where the work is planned.

Announcements of such outages due to repair work must be distributed no later than 10 days before the power is turned off . They should contain information about the shutdown, the timing of when the power will be turned on, and the basis for the shutdown.

ATTENTION! All existing regulations regarding power outages during scheduled repairs must be specified in the agreement between the consumer and the supplier.

Procedure for turning off electricity for non-payment

The law on power outages states that such a measure is possible if:

1. Conditions of electrical wiring, transforming and consuming electricity devices of the subscriber, threatening an accident and the safety of people. This also includes the case when the sum of the powers of simultaneously operating electrical appliances of the subscriber exceeds the energy consumption limits specified in the technical passport of the premises. To make such a decision, a conclusion from the bodies of Energonadzor, Rostechnadzor, and the housing inspection is required to identify facts of faulty condition of devices and electrical wiring.
2. If this is necessary to eliminate or prevent an accident. Planned shutdowns for preventive purposes are carried out according to a schedule communicated to consumers in advance. Emergency operations are automatically performed by emergency control devices.

Official dates

It is important to consider how many constantly switched on consumers use electricity. According to the law, energy consumers are divided into three categories.

Depending on this, the periods for which the shutdown can be carried out are determined. So, if the consumer belongs to categories 1 or 2, then the shutdown period will depend on the conditions specified in the contract, the features of the electricity scheme, the availability of additional power sources, if it is turned off by law .

The standards say that consumers belonging to reliability category 3 cannot remain without power supply for longer than a certain period. The maximum time for which the lights can be turned off is 72 hours per year, and consumers cannot be left without electricity for more than 24 hours at a time. The exception is situations when an emergency shutdown occurs or repair work is carried out.

Category 3 is the majority of consumers, in particular apartment buildings and the private sector . For how long they can be turned off, the reasons for the lack of light can be found out from the manager, they should know about possible problems and accidents. Please note that the length of time the lights may be turned off does not vary depending on the time of year.

In what cases the light cannot be turned off even for debtors

There are cases when it is strictly forbidden to turn off the electricity. For example, if a house is heated by a boiler powered by electrical energy, interrupting the supply of the resource is strictly prohibited.

It is prohibited to turn off power if such actions will lead to an accident. Actions to stop the supply of resources must be carried out by qualified workers who have a specialization document. The connection points are tightly insulated.

Important! In case of accidents at the station or natural disasters, the supply of electricity may be suspended without prior notice. The service restoration period is unlimited.

Outlaw

Many residents are concerned about how to find out whether the shutdown is legal or not, how long the work will take place, and why the power was turned off.
There are also situations when, even during repair work, disconnection is illegal. The illegality of disconnection can only be proven in court.

People have the right to take legal action, which may result in the provider being subject to criminal liability. This happens when there is a supply interruption and the consumer suffers property damage.

It is worth considering situations when electricity is turned off illegally:

• The shutdown lasted more than a day.
• There is no justification for the shutdown.
• Power went out for more than 72 hours throughout the year.
• The shutdown occurred by mistake.
• Shutdown before holidays, unless it was an emergency.

If you are concerned about what is often disconnected, where to complain, what to do if the disconnection was illegal, then the best solution would be to go to a lawyer. Experts will tell you about the rules, tell you how to get your filing restored, and help you prepare documents for going to court.

ATTENTION! If the disconnection was made due to debt, then after payment the supply must be restored within 24 hours. If the energy supplying organization has not done this, then you can contact the judicial authorities.

Can electricity be cut off in winter due to accumulated debt?

And they have no right to turn off electricity for this reason.

• Suspension of power supply to one consumer should not affect the interests and rights of his neighbors, or violate the requirements for the operation of housing (Is it legal to turn off electricity in winter, for example, if the heating of the room in winter is carried out by electrical appliances according to the technical passport. No, it cannot be turned off).
• Unfortunately, power outages, especially in winter, are a common measure of influence of SNT boards on gardeners. It is used to force garden house owners to comply with the requirements of the governing bodies of the partnership and to speed up the collection of membership fees. Is it legal to cut off electricity in SNT in winter and summer? Such actions of the SNT chairmen in accordance with the provisions of Art.

21, 22, 23 Federal Law No. 66 are illegal, they can be considered as a crime under Art.

Why might they stop supplying?

An agreement is concluded between the supplier and the consumer that governs all relations between them, including whether they should be warned about a planned outage. There are several ways to sign this agreement:

• unilateral signing of an agreement;
• bilateral signing of an agreement.

These agreements are legal if all conditions are met by the energy supplier and the user. If we consider the bodies that exercise control over the fulfillment of these obligations, then these are local authorities.

Legislation regulates various issues, for example, emergency short-term power outages. You need to understand that if the user does not fulfill his obligations, the supplier may turn off the power.

Supplier liability

The supplier bears administrative responsibility for supply failures and breakdowns. Many consumers are interested in what rights they have. In case of malfunctions or damage, consumers can demand moral as well as material compensation.

If the conditions are violated by the supplier, the organization must compensate the consumer for damages and also pay a fine. The law states that the supplier must compensate people for equipment and devices that are out of order.

IMPORTANT! If the lights are turned off, the appliances break down because of this, but the supplier refuses to pay, then you should contact the local authorities.

What to do during a power outage?

Please note! If a power outage is detected, the following actions must be taken:

• First of all, you need to contact your neighbors and find out if they have electricity. If the shutdown occurred in only one apartment, you need to check the automatic shutdown reading. It is quite possible that a short circuit occurred, which triggered the machine;
• If the cause is not found, you should contact the energy saving company in your region. There is a single number valid throughout the Russian Federation - 50-115. The connection is free from both landlines and mobile phones. However, you should call it if damaged network contacts are found located closer than ten meters above the ground;
• if there is also no electricity in neighboring apartments, you need to familiarize yourself with information about scheduled repairs. To do this, you can call your energy saving company or read the data on the official website of IDGC of Center;
• if the employees of the energy-saving company do not know about the lack of light, it is necessary to notify them about the problem, indicating the exact address and time of the trouble;
• At home, all electrical appliances should be unplugged. It is possible that an accident has occurred.

Read more: State duty calculator Voronezh Arbitration Court

The main thing is that you don’t need to try to restore the light supply yourself. Firstly, this is punishable by a fine, and secondly, rash actions will lead to irreversible consequences.

Watch the video. Disconnection of utilities for non-payment:

Emergency or planned

Emergency shutdown occurs due to technical reasons, as a result of emergency situations. In this case, the light will be turned off without warning. It is clear that a prolonged power outage can cause significant damage. That is why every consumer should take into account the following information:

1. The reasons why the emergency occurred, as well as the nature of the breakdown.
2. Time frame within which the power supply will be restored.
3. What to do if the repair time exceeds the norm.

During emergency repair work, shutdowns occur due to emergency situations. If it is possible to connect reserve power, the supplier usually uses it. A planned shutdown occurs if the repair work was planned; in this case, the electricians work according to a pre-thought-out scenario.

It doesn’t matter whether the outage occurs in winter or summer, the organization must warn people about the outage in advance . Today, a variety of notification methods can be used:

• by calling a phone;
• letter by email;
• personally;
• through the media.

Limitation of electricity for legal entities

Disconnection of enterprises from power supply also occurs with prior notice. The notice is sent by registered mail or delivered in person under the signature of a representative of the legal entity. There is another way to collect debt. Sending a payment request through the bank.

The decision on payment will be made by the head of the company himself. However, if he ignores the notice and pays for the services provided, the enterprise will be disconnected from electricity within the prescribed time frame.

If a legal entity has received a fine for violating the rules for using resources, it must pay not only the amount of the debt, but also the cost of collection.

For what debt is the light turned off for non-payment?

Read how to recalculate your electricity bills here.

What is the responsibility for illegal power outages, read the link:

There are other ways to notify a legal entity about the existence of a debt, for example, an email, a conversation on a landline or mobile phone. However, from an official point of view, such options are not suitable for properly notifying the user.

Watch the video. What to do if the lights are turned off for non-payment:

Accident elimination standard

No more than 24 hours should pass before the lights are turned back on .
You also need to remember about the annual limit; it should not exceed 72 hours. It is very rare that there are situations where longer delays occur; they depend on the extent of the damage. But even in such situations, repair work must be carried out within a reasonable time. Otherwise, the supplier will bear administrative or criminal liability.

If the organization violates all deadlines and does not fulfill all of its obligations that are specified in the agreement, then the residents have every right to defend themselves. To find out the specifics of the situation, the reasons for the breakdown, or interruption of power supply, you can contact the HOA, as well as directly to the supplier.

ATTENTION! If necessary, you can call the dispatcher and tell about the violation and write a corresponding complaint. Even if the claims are ignored or remain unattended, then you need to go to court.

Please note that the statement of claim must contain all the necessary data:

• the name of the organization that supplies energy;
• date of suspension of filing;
• the exact date of the emergency;
• acts, inspections available on hand;
• state of energy supply;
• witness evidence;
• written refusals from officials.

Power outage for a significant period of time

Mandatory procedures before turning off the lights In the 21st century, it is impossible to imagine life without electricity. Power outages not only cause inconvenience to local residents, but also cause damage to businesses whose activities directly depend on uninterrupted power supply. In accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, restriction of access to resources must be carried out with prior notification to the user. It doesn’t matter whether it is carrying out scheduled work or disconnecting the defaulter from the energy supply networks. The Civil Code of the Russian Federation states that access to electricity cannot be restricted if such activity will lead to an accident. In the event of a planned power outage for non-payment of supply services, the user must be properly notified. The notice is sent in writing in person or by mail.

• if there are 2 additional power sources operating from the power supply network - 2 hours;
• if one object runs on electricity – 24 hours.

Note! If the specified standards are exceeded, payment for the services provided must be recalculated.

For every hour 0.15% of the cost of consumption.