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How to save money on utilities on TV. How to save on utilities correctly? You can also reduce energy consumption by

The most common and simplest way to save money is to self-control over the use of resources.

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Often we don't notice how carelessly we waste our utilities. The main thing is just to develop the habit of always monitoring whether any devices are being used unnecessarily in the apartment.

The next way is installation. Install meters wherever possible.

Thus, you will have to pay only for your own consumption, and not for general household expenses, which will significantly reduce the payment for payments.

When choosing a new home, few people think that it can become a serious item of monthly expenses.

It is very important to make the right choice, since sometimes for some tenants, the difference in payment per person can be two or even several times greater than for someone living in another house.

If citizens with preferential categories live in the apartment, then you should definitely apply for utility bills. To do this, you will have to write a statement to the appropriate authorities.

Payment for utility services

To do this, you must provide your management company with a certificate that no one will live in the apartment for a specific period.

Utilities for this period will be charged at a minimum.

Privileges

Benefits are provided:

  • veterans of the Great Patriotic War;
  • disabled people;
  • families with many children.

Relatives of dead servicemen, parents of disabled people, Chernobyl victims can also count on a discount.

Utility bills are a mandatory item of expenditure in the budget of residents of apartment buildings. Form and content of payment different regions may differ, but as a rule, it includes a number of mandatory items: heating, gas, water supply, sewerage, electricity, antenna, intercom, maintenance and repair, as well as insurance (optional). It is difficult to influence the annual growth of tariffs. The best solution is to use utilities wisely and economically and not be afraid to assert your rights. Our helpful tips will help you to do this correctly.

If you want to change reality - start with yourself. Observe how economically you use energy resources, and adhere to a few simple rules:

  • install meters for gas, electricity and water;
  • choose energy efficient home appliances;
  • always unplug unused electrical appliances from the sockets;
  • replace all ordinary light bulbs with energy saving ones;
  • turn off the water when brushing your teeth;
  • if you have a dishwasher, use it more;
  • in order to save gas, cover the pots with lids, which will speed up the cooking process;
  • install adjustable radiators and room thermostats instead of conventional radiators.

The only services that cannot be refused are heating, plumbing, sewerage, house maintenance and repairs. The rest of the services can be reviewed. But it should be taken into account that the order of failure and the difficulties associated with it depend on the service company. The simplest thing is to turn off the radio, landline telephone, TV antenna, intercom. But with the abandonment of the elevator and the garbage chute is a little more difficult, since they belong to the common property of the house. You will have to organize a meeting of tenants and get them to decide in your favor.

Cold floors, walls, doors, and windows can drain much more valuable heat than you might think. And its loss is directly related to the increase in energy consumption for heating the room. That is why you need to worry about high-quality thermal insulation even at the stage of apartment renovation. If you missed this type of work, then globally it is better to take on them in the warm season. And before the winter months, you can insulate windows and doors.

If you have doubts about the quality of insulation of the house as a whole, then ask the utilities to check the basements, windows, attics, porches. The heat you pay can be spent through basements, boiler rooms and heating mains, which is facilitated by poor insulation of old pipes. It is best to install a general house meter, which will help identify malfunctions in the engineering systems of the house and identify erroneous calculations in the payment.

If you regularly follow the above tips, but the amounts in bills from housing and communal services do not become less, then you should take more seriously the study of the receipt. Do not be lazy to check your bills with neighbors' bills or go to management company for a consultation. If you doubt the legality of the amounts indicated on the receipt, then do not pay them right away.

Find out the real reason or contact the prosecutor's office with a request to check. For example, in winter, water consumption for general household needs should not be too high (there is no need to irrigate the lawn near the house). Do not forget to record the fact of contacting the housing department with a claim or record a telephone conversation on a dictaphone, noting the date and time of the conversation, as well as the data of the employee with whom you consulted.

If you consider the overpricing by the service company to be unjustified or are not satisfied with the quality of the services provided by it, then feel free to demand that you recalculate the data of your receipt. To do this, write a statement addressed to the director of the organization. If you receive a refusal, go to court.

Those who often leave on long business trips (from five days or more) are entitled to recount for an unused elevator, garbage collection and sewerage, taking into account the number of people living in the apartment. To recount, you will need documentary evidence of your absence from the house. Only owners of privatized housing can apply for such a service.

According to the law, twice a year, specialists from the DEZ or the management company are required to inspect the engineering equipment inside the premises, regardless of the form of ownership. Locksmiths must check the health of batteries, taps and risers without fail. If for a whole year the locksmiths have never looked at you, then you have full right call them for free troubleshooting. Craftsmen are obliged to change even a burned-out light bulb, without requiring a fee. When providing commercial services, DEZ employees do not have to ask for cash - all operations are carried out according to an official receipt and only through a bank. In case of refusal of DEZ from its duties, write a complaint to the housing inspectorate.

Those who pay for utility bills with minimal or no commission can also save money. To do this, it is better to use special Internet resources or payment systems, which is much faster and more convenient than going to the post office or to the bank. To pay through online services, it is not necessary to register at all: payments can be made using either a virtual wallet or a bank card.

Utility bills refer to the mandatory monthly expenses of the family. This expense item is not just constant, but, unfortunately, is constantly growing. Nevertheless, a communal apartment is not a verdict, and if you approach it wisely and systematically, you can significantly reduce the cost of paying for it.

So, a little reminder.
How to save on utility bills without prejudice to yourself

1. Saving electricity

Here are the highlights:
Change all bulbs to energy efficient ones.
Change the regular counter to a two-mode one and use a cheaper night mode for long-term automatic operations (washing, washing dishes, operating a double boiler or bread machine).
Turn off the light, do not illuminate empty rooms, adjust the required brightness of the premises.
Keep windows clean for natural light in rooms. Do not force windowsills with tall plants, use light curtains.
Do not keep idle household appliances in standby mode.
Follow the washing rules, do not forget to use half wash for small loads.
Place the refrigerator and freezer away from the stove and the battery, and defrost them in time.
Observe the rules for using the vacuum cleaner - do not forget to switch the power. Use the biggest one only when you really need it.
Do not overdry the laundry in order to shorten the ironing time. If the linen, especially bed linen, is removed slightly damp, you can not iron it at all, but fold it neatly by smoothing it with your hands.
Turn on the air conditioner only when the window is closed.
If you need electric heating, then use the most economical heaters. Today, the most economical option is an electric convector (when choosing, pay attention to the quality of the heating element, the shorter the heating time, the better). Use the timer to turn off and on when you are away.
Helpful hints:
When buying home appliances, pay attention to energy consumption. The most energy-efficient option Class "A" energy consumption
When making repairs, think about point sources of lighting - lamps, sconces, floor lamps, etc., which will be an alternative to the general lighting of rooms, kitchens, corridors.
You can choose and profitably buy an electric convector in online stores.

2. Saving water

Monitor and promptly eliminate leaks from the taps and the barrel.
Purchase an aerator nozzle for a tap. Air is added to the water flow - the water pressure is less, and washing is comfortable (up to 70% savings).
Use a half wash for automatic washing machines.
Brush your teeth and shave by turning off the tap. Take a shower instead of a bath (water consumption is 5 times less).
Wash the dishes in the sink, plugging the drain or bowl with a cork and only rinse under running water.
Helpful hints:
When repairing or replacing plumbing, purchase: lever taps (they mix water faster without wasting it), a toilet with a double flush system (reduces water consumption by 2 times).
A dishwasher, although it is not cheap, will save water on washing dishes by 3-4 times in the future.

3. Saving heat

The comfort of an apartment is the optimum temperature. In order not to overpay for heating (especially in the case of heat meters), to live in coziness and comfort, you need to take care of everything in advance.
Space heating must be regulated. The simplest solution is battery-powered valves. Hot - screwed on, cold opened.
A battery with a dark color has more efficient heat dissipation.
The heat-reflecting screen behind the battery is + 2-3 degrees.
Most The best way heat saving in the apartment - wall insulation both outside and inside the apartment. Windows and external doors should be without cracks and gaps.
Cover windows at night, not batteries.
Helpful hints:
If you change windows - order glass with i-coating, they keep the heat inside the room.
Before painting the batteries, try to clean the old paint - although it is not large, it is insulation

4. Saving is control

It's no secret that the generally accepted norms for gas and water consumption are significantly overestimated. Counters are needed for control. The savings are substantial and the costs will pay off in just a few months.

5. Don't forget about recalculation

Monitor your accounts. Was there no hot water due to preventive maintenance? The invoice should be billed with this in mind. The elevator did not work - minus the rent, etc.
The absence of a family member for a long time (study or business trip, work in another city) is a reason to recalculate. To do this, you need to submit certificates or other documents confirming this fact. True, this is only relevant for apartments that are not equipped with meters.

6. Don't pay for what you don't use

Progress brings changes to our lives. Many people now do not listen to the radio, do not use a landline telephone, and the Internet is increasingly replacing television.
Analyze what services you do not need and refuse them.

7. Subsidies and benefits

Follow all changes in legislation related to housing and communal services. Rising tariffs and salaries frozen in place are doing their job. In a crisis, the people become poorer. Those who yesterday did not fall into the category of those in need of subsidies, today may well fit into the requirements.
Control the total expenditure on utilities, if the consumption rate of the total family income is exceeded, immediately apply for a subsidy.
Everything that is described above, all the tips will help you significantly save on utilities only if you constantly remember about them, and a thrifty attitude to the consumption of water, heat gas will become a habit.
Savings are an acquired quality. Someone saves of their own free will, trying to save up for a dream, and someone is forced by life.
In any case, always try to analyze the costs and answer the question, can I get the same, but cheaper, and if so, how? As a rule, there is always such an opportunity. Find it and use it.

The cost of housing and communal services is increasing every year. Kommersant will tell you how to pay less for utility bills, what payments you can save on and optimize your expenses for communal services.


General Tips

  • Installing lever taps can save water as it takes longer and more water to set the temperature with a two-valve system.
  • Due to the leakage of taps, several hundred liters of water can be lost per month, so it is worth taking care of the condition of the plumbing and calling the technician if any malfunctions are found.
  • Owners of cast iron batteries can call a plumber for free to clean them in the summer.
  • The batteries can be equipped with control valves to control the amount of heat supplied, thus saving it whenever possible.
  • Due to poor insulation of pipes in boiler rooms and basements of houses, a lot of heat energy is lost. After securing the consent of all residents of the house, you can contact the management company and the contractor to install a general house meter, which can save up to 30% of thermal energy.
  • When buying new household appliances, it is worth choosing economical A-class models, as they consume less electricity.
  • Taking care of your refrigerator is also a way to save money, as a freezer with frozen ice on it consumes more electricity.
  • To save up to 30% of electricity in the apartment, you can install automated motion control sensors that control electric lighting.
  • When going on vacation, in order to avoid wasting resources, it is worth unplugging all electrical appliances. For more efficient savings, you can turn off the water and electricity.
  • When paying for housing and communal services, it is worth carefully checking the receipts to avoid unnecessary expenses.

If an error is found, you need to contact the appropriate organization that issues the receipt, and, if necessary, to the state housing inspectorate, which checks the correctness of the calculation of the amount of payment for housing and communal services.

Who is entitled to benefits


Many consumers can count on government support in paying for housing and communal services, provided for by federal or regional regulations.

Benefits are provided to specific categories of citizens, regardless of the level of income, the size of the area of ​​the apartment and its belonging to a certain housing stock. With the help of benefits, consumers can pay for up to 50% of housing and communal services, but only for one residential facility.

State aid in the form of benefits can be claimed by:

  1. Large families with four or more children.
  2. People with disabilities, as well as the families where they live.
  3. Employee families.
  4. Heroes of the Russian Federation and the USSR with distinctions in the field of labor.
  5. Veterans, participants, relatives of those killed in the Second World War.
  6. Donors marked with a special sign.

To obtain benefits, you can contact the department of social protection of the population at the place of residence, providing the following documents:

  1. Applicant's passport.
  2. A document proving the applicant's attitude to a certain preferential category.
  3. Certificate of the composition of the family living at a specific address.
  4. Help showing the size of the living space.
  5. Title deed.

Subsidies


Unlike benefits, subsidies can be provided to those citizens whose costs of housing and communal services exceed a certain percentage of the income of all family members (from 10% to 22% depending on the region). The payment plan for subsidies is determined by law and is not always limited by the framework living wage... Accruals are made in advance for the next six months.

Only citizens of Russia, Belarus or Kyrgyzstan who do not have debts for housing and communal services can apply for state aid in the form of subsidies. It can be:

  • Owners of housing (apartment, residential building or part thereof).
  • Users whose housing is classified as municipal or government housing.
  • Members of a housing cooperative or housing construction association.
  • Citizens renting a separate private living space under a contract.

To obtain state support, you can contact the city center for housing subsidies at the place of residence, providing the following documents:

  • Passports of all family members of the applicant.
  • A document confirming the ownership of the property.
  • Certificate confirming the composition of the family.
  • Certificate confirming the level of income of each family member.
  • A certificate proving the absence of housing and communal debt for the past months.
  • Bank account details.

Counters


Individual meters are devices that measure and account for the amount of resources supplied to an apartment (water, electricity, gas). Having installed them, the consumer will be able to pay for housing and communal services at reduced rates, without overpaying for what he does not use.

To install a water meter, you should:

  1. Contact the management company at your place of residence to obtain required documents(technical installation conditions, water supply schemes).
  2. Purchase meters depending on how many risers (stopcocks) are in the apartment.
  3. Install meters by contacting specialists.
  4. Draw up a tripartite act for the introduction of meters into operation (the document is signed by the installer, the owner of the living space and the representative of the management company).
  5. Conclude an agreement with the management company to pay for water meters.

To install a meter for electricity, you should:

  1. Contact any organization that installs electricity meters.
  2. Purchase and install a multi-tariff meter (unlike the usual one, it takes into account the time of day).
  3. Contact the power supply or power sales organization that serves the house to seal the meter (you can determine the required organization in the management company).
  4. Conclude an agreement with the management company to pay for electricity by meters.

To install a gas meter, you should:

  1. Submit an application to an organization that has a license to install gas meters (in Moscow - Mosgaz).
  2. Pay for the installation of the meter by a specialist (during installation, you may need to rearrange gas appliances, change in the intra-apartment gas distribution).
  3. Contact the representative of the gas supplier to seal the meter and take readings.

If the payment for housing and communal services is carried out not according to metering devices (meters), but according to approved standards (based on the number of people registered in the house), you should pay attention to who is registered in the apartment. It often happens that people are registered (as a rule, relatives) who have actually not lived in the living space for a long time, but the payment for them is charged and grows every year. It is possible to write out “phantom tenants” without their personal consent only through the courts.

Recalculation


If the consumer is absent at home for a long time (more than five days), he or she has the right to use the recalculation of the cost of payment for certain LCD services by contacting the appropriate center or management company at the place of residence. Such a request can only be made if the housing is technically impossible to equip with meters. To carry out the recalculation, you will need:

  • Application for recalculation.
  • Inspection certificate confirming the impossibility of establishing individual meters.
  • A document confirming the fact and duration of the absence of the applicant or at least one of the family members registered in a particular housing.

Radio point and antenna


Many citizens still spend money on those housing and communal services that they have not used for a long time.

The radio point, which is equipped with every house (except for new buildings), is designed to notify residents of emergencies. Today there is an SMS notification, nevertheless, the "radio and notification" service is still found in many housing and communal services receipts. Consumers have the right to turn it off by contacting the management company, the district department of engineering services or the city radio broadcasting center.

Cable and satellite television has long replaced the need for collective TV antenna, for which some tenants are still paying. To disconnect the antenna, you need to write a statement and contact the management company.

Energy-saving lamps


Energy saving lamps can save up to 75% energy. They shine in the same way as incandescent lamps, but consume several times less energy and last much longer. For example, a 20-watt energy-saving lamp shines in the same way as a regular 100-watt lamp. There are two types of energy saving lamps - fluorescent and LED, which can work properly for up to six years. There are several light temperatures of lamps:

  • from 2700 to 3500 Kelvin - warm yellow light;
  • 4000 to 5000 Kelvin - cold white light;
  • from 6000 Kelvin - daylight.

Home phone


Consumers of housing and communal services are increasingly abandoning the use of a home telephone, preferring mobile communications. In order to save money, you can contact the city telephone center and terminate the contract for the provision of the service by writing a statement before this and submitting a receipt confirming the absence of arrears on home phone payments.

We spend tens of thousands of rubles annually to pay for housing and communal services. And it seems logical to everyone, because it is impossible to live without water, light and heat. At the same time, tariffs are constantly growing and costs are becoming more and more tangible, and if the quality of services grows - although not everywhere - it does not keep pace with the growth of their cost. Therefore, an increasing number of citizens are thinking about how to reduce payments for housing and communal services.

To save on this area, you need to optimize the costs of all services - and this is a whole strategy. First you need to understand all the receipts and understand how much money you spend on different payments.

In general, if you decide to reduce some expenses, always try to break them down into small groups and analyze them in dynamics, this will help you understand where the money is going.

It's worth starting with a detailed study of the information in the receipt - it's a payment order. It has a section called "Calculation of the amount of payment for the maintenance and repair of living quarters and utilities" - this is where the main information for you is contained.

  • Water supply (cold water).
  • DHW (hot water).
  • Water disposal (sewerage).
  • Electricity.

There are also other interesting numbers there, but more for information, since it is almost impossible to influence them:

  • Maintenance and repair of housing.
  • Heat supply.
  • ONE (hot water supply, cold water supply, power supply).

And now the most important thing: every month you need to write out these key indicators in a separate table for months - it does not matter if it is Excel or a notebook. Such a table will show you as clearly as possible how much the services were used and how much was paid for them. Your spreadsheet will hold the key to spending less. This is understandable, because without knowing what and how much money is spent, it is impossible to determine on what and how you can save.

Separately, we note that receipts do not need to be lost even after transferring data from them to a table. Collect them in one place and sort them better by year so that any of them can be easily found when needed. The situations when it is required may be different - a system failure, or incorrect calculation of rent. Without such a receipt, it will be difficult for you to prove something.

So, you held out for several months and got a table. Now it is worth deciding on the basic principles by which you will optimize the costs of housing and communal services.

As in any business, it is better to act together here: if several people live in your apartment, and you are the only one thinking about optimization, all your efforts will be in vain, and the savings are negligible. This means that you need to negotiate with all the inhabitants of the apartment - your relatives or friends. Children, for example, will find it easy to explain that turning off the lights when leaving the room can allow them to get a new toy or a trip to an amusement park. In fact, the rules for saving are not that complicated, and additional funds can motivate anyone.

The entire optimization strategy - or savings - can be broken down into three blocks:

  • Cost-effective steps. Money does not need to be spent on saving water, electricity, gas. For example, you can turn off the water when brushing your teeth or refuse a radio point.
  • Low cost steps. This can be the replacement of incandescent bulbs with energy-saving ones, or the installation of meters.
  • Costly steps. These include the purchase of household appliances with a higher energy efficiency class: A, A +, A ++.

Block 1: failure and savings

First of all, it is worth giving up what you do not use.

For many, these are:

  • Radio point. The same radio in the kitchen, working without electricity. Why do you need it?
  • Landline phone. Tariffs for mobile communications have long been available to almost everyone, and people use their home phone less and less. We remove.
  • TV antenna. Digital television is now also not expensive at all. Therefore, it makes no sense to pay also for a stationary common house antenna.
  • Intercom. If someone rarely comes to you, and all household members have a key, you can easily do without an intercom. It is important that it is installed by a private company, then a simple statement will suffice.

Privileges

It is also good to understand if you are entitled to benefits on utility bills - there are quite a few of them in Russia, more than 25% of the population can count on some of them. Such information is easy to find on the Internet.

Commissions

You can save on fees charged by terminals such as QIWI, as well as some banks when paying by card. Refine this information by choosing one or another payment method - among them it is easy to find free ones.

Penalties

Pay on time to avoid interest charges. For the previous month, you must pay no later than the 10th day of the next.

Vacation

If you do not have meters, and you have not been at home for more than 5 days - you were on vacation or a business trip - you did not use utility services, and accordingly, you should not pay for them. Therefore, after returning, you can apply for a recalculation of the cost of electricity, water and gas. However, you need to have a document confirming your absence - a ticket, a travel ticket, a certificate from the hospital, and so on. Please note that heating does not apply.

Now let's figure out how to pay less for various services.

Water

Leaks are the main enemy of savings. Watch the condition of the toilet cistern, batteries or taps from which water may drip.

Dishwashing liquid you need to choose one that cleans quickly and does not require a large amount of water.

Shower instead of bath 5 times more economical.

Economical toilet cistern and the different buttons on it will also help you use less water.

You should brush your teeth so that you only turn on water at the beginning and end, and the same goes for shaving.

Upload washing machine you need it to the maximum - this will allow you to wash less often, which means less water and energy is spent.

Dishwasher requires less water, although you have to spend money on electricity. But if she uses 30-50 liters of cold water in one cycle, then when washing with her hands about 300 liters are spent, moreover, hot water.

It is important to remember that saving is good, but you need to feel comfortable and not turn your life into a nightmare for a couple of cubic meters of water.

Electricity

Washing machine it is not necessary to turn it on at maximum heating - 60º is enough for a high-quality wash.

Electric stove will heat up faster if you use a pan the size of the heating discs.

Electric kettle and microwave consume less energy than an electric stove.

Scale in the teapot complicates heating, increases its time and electricity consumption. And if possible, do not fill the kettle to the brim - it will boil faster and use less energy.

Do not leave appliances connected to the mains, which you don't use is a waste of electricity. Unplug from sockets charging device- they consume electricity even when no gadgets are connected to them.

The vacuum cleaner consumes much less energy if its container is empty.

Warmly

For centralized heating you most likely pay with a receipt, but if the battery temperature is too low and you have to use heaters, you should contact the management company.

Air quickly, without leaving the window open and not cooling the apartment.

Block 2: changing the inexpensive

Water and electricity meters Is a must-have. With water, the situation is simple, but with light, everything is a little more complicated, because besides the usual ones, there are two-tariff and three-tariff meters. Such meters count electricity at different times of the day. And in order to understand which counter is right for you, you should calculate how profitable it is.

Peak time (from 07:00 to 10:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00) is the most expensive, half-peak (from 10:00 to 17:00 and from 21:00 to 23:00) is cheaper, and at night the most low price (from 23:00 to 07:00). And transferring energy-intensive tasks overnight - washing, ironing or washing dishes in the dishwasher - will seriously save you money.

At the same time, tariffs in all regions are different, and people also consume energy in different ways. Therefore, you should study the tariffs, and also understand when you have the maximum electricity consumption. It is also important to consider how much it will cost you to install or replace the meter. In general, analysis is required.

Water

In the toilet cistern, you can put an economical flush and a double button, this will also reduce water consumption.

Dishwashers also differ in different water consumption.

Lever water mixer will allow you to quickly adjust the pressure and temperature of the water. Also, water-saving nozzles for faucets will not be superfluous.

Electricity

Energy-saving lamps more expensive, but last longer and require less energy.

The dimmer allows you to reduce the light intensity depending on the need.

Switches with motion sensor make it impossible for the light to burn unnecessarily.

Block 3: starting to live in a new way

Electricity consumption class household appliances is a really important indicator. It is indicated in Latin letters. Appliances labeled class A consume less energy than appliances of class G. For example, a class A refrigerator is more expensive, but in a year it consumes half the energy (320 kW ⁄ h) than class G (720 kW ⁄ h). The refrigerator is bought for a long time, and the savings are obvious.

Light-colored wallpaper allow you to use less lighting.

Nice or just sealed windows- it is also very important from the point of view of energy saving.

Conclusions:

  • Disable unnecessary services
  • Troubleshoot the apartment
  • Install counters
  • Invest in economical appliances and devices

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