The abolition of indexation of tariffs of housing and communal services will not help consumers to save

Deputy of the state Duma Ivan Sukharev proposed to introduce a moratorium on the traditional July increase of tariffs of housing, citing the current difficult economic situation. The initiative is sound, but experts believe that the collection of utility payments will still continue to fall. Millions of families are fully or partially deprived of income over the past weeks, and often face a choice: to spend money on food or pay bills. By the way, the moratorium on penalties and disconnection of services for nonpayment is valid only until January 1, 2021-th. During this time, experts warn, the debts of the population for housing and communal services will become unaffordable. If early next year the government will announce the “unfreezing” of all penalties, there will be communal chaos. Debtors are cut off from access to water and toilets put plugs.

Deputy of the Sukharev asked the government to keep the indexes change fees for housing and communal services in the second half of 2020 at the level of 2019. Note that in the second half of the utility tariffs should on average be indexed by 4%, despite the fact that in the same period of 2019, the size of 2.4 per cent. A letter with his initiative Sukharev addressed the Vice-Premier of the Russian Federation Marat Husnullina responsible for utilities.

in the meantime, the population increasingly difficult to pay the “communal”. According to forecasts of experts, growth of debt of citizens for time-isolation may grow twice.

the Head of the noncommercial Organization of people’s control Natalia Chernysheva supports the initiative of the Deputy. “People are so hard to pay, especially since bills will increase by approximately 25-30% due to the growth in the use of electricity, water, gas due to isolation. In these circumstances, the Cape in the form of annual growth rates of 4% will be very painful,” she said.

cross-sectional Russian higher tariffs initially, it was very inefficient, says Executive Director of “housing Control” Svetlana Razvorotneva. Average values established by the Federal center, which is a boost is a trigger for inflation. In its opinion, “freezing” of indexes change fees for public services should be targeted to be spot in separate regions of Russia.

At the same time, the expert believes that the total abolition of the indexing – not the optimal solution. For example, some water utilities in our country close to bankruptcy. Left without income from consumers, they are no longer functioning. That, of course, hit to the population.

“With the introduction of a moratorium on penalties and interest for nonpayment, as well as to disconnect the resources of the payment discipline of the population will be reduced approximately twice, — said the interlocutor of “MK”. — The ability to pay bills will benefit not only those who were withabout life situation, but also unscrupulous consumers.” Razvorotneva convinced that if the indexing is canceled altogether, the difficult situation will be and tenants, and resursnyi.

According to experts, the most effective method of helping people with low incomes — free subsidies to needy consumers. Natalia Chernysheva recommends that the tenants in a difficult situation in advance to inform the relevant authorities about the inability to pay utility bills.

“first, you should contact your management company and arrange installment payments by the lowest possible monthly payment, she says. — Second, the first significant change for the worse a family’s income, you need to contact the social welfare agencies with a statement about the need of subsidies for housing”.

Recall that such benefits are provided if the cost of “communal” exceed a certain percentage of the income of a family set in a specific region. For example, in Moscow it is 10%, in St.-Petersburg – 14%, in some regions, 15 to 22%. But the procedure for obtaining this privilege should be facilitated, experts underline.

the experts we Interviewed believe that the government will somehow support the housing sector – in particular, those of resursnogo. But residents of us – is to take care of themselves. For this we need not wait for a critical financial situation and in advance to notify housing authorities about the problems with the income in the family, and to seek the necessary assistance. Maybe the more requests for targeted benefits, the higher the probability of entry of massive subsidies.