Gas is a resource that represents a source of high danger, therefore all actions performed with various gas equipment should be performed exclusively by experienced professionals. This includes not only connecting to the main line, but even installing or dismantling a gas stove. Although many people think that it is enough to simply unscrew and re-screw gas hoses, even the slightest mistakes cause significant harm to people’s lives or health. Therefore, a significant fine is imposed for gas connected without permission, as well as for other actions with gas equipment.
Legislative regulation
Gasification of a private home, as well as the installation of various equipment powered by gas, can be carried out exclusively on the basis of special regulations. The main document for this is Government Decree PF No. 549, which describes the procedure for gas supply to meet the needs of citizens.
The main provisions of this PP include:
- gasification of a private house or apartment building is a complex procedure that must be carried out exclusively by experienced specialists who are employees of the gas service, and the owners of the buildings must pay for these services based on established tariffs;
- Gas equipment must be regularly serviced, and building owners cannot refuse these services, otherwise a significant fine for gas will be imposed, since the provisions of the law are violated;
- gas equipment can only be installed, dismantled or moved by competent professionals, and this applies even to a standard household appliance represented by a gas stove;
- if the rules of the PP are not followed, then fines for gas are provided, paid by the owners of houses or apartments in the building, and they increase if there is evidence of theft of this resource, and if unlawful actions harm the life and health of other citizens, then even criminal liability is applied.
Therefore, the use of gas and equipment should only be carried out under the supervision of competent and experienced personnel.
The concept of illegal tapping
Many owners of private houses want to save on utilities, for which they prefer to connect to the gas mains themselves, so they do not draw up an agreement with the gas service. In this case, a fine is imposed for illegal gas tapping, and this penalty is applied in situations:
- connection to the gas main without first signing an agreement with the gas supply company;
- implementation of installation independently or with the involvement of third-party companies or persons who do not have the necessary authority, and often the knowledge, to complete this work correctly and in the required time frame;
- connecting a neighbor to the highway without notifying him of this fact, as well as hiding information from the company that provides the resource.
Most often, such violations occur during the gasification of a private house, when the owners of the building try to save on the costs necessary to use various communications.
How the fine is calculated
If inspectors discover a failure to comply with the required level of safety, the gas service may impose a fine, with mandatory written notification.
Unauthorized connection to gas pipelines can only be recorded by police officers, and only a court can determine punishment. Therefore, you should not listen to various scammers who intimidate and offer to “resolve the issue on the spot.”
In addition, if you do not agree with the charges, you can always challenge them in the appropriate authority.
What conditions must be met?
When connecting a private house to gas, basic conditions must be met, and if they are violated, certain penalties are also applied to the owner. These requirements include:
- installation of various equipment is carried out with the obligatory drawing up of an agreement with the company that is the gas supplier;
- an agreement is concluded for periodic maintenance of the house;
- all operations with the equipment must be carried out only by authorized and experienced specialists;
- If various malfunctions are discovered in the operation of gas equipment, then you need to promptly contact professionals to eliminate them.
If you smell gas or discover open water pipes, the owners of a private home should definitely contact specialists to eliminate the violations. If the above requirements and conditions are not met, then this is the basis for bringing the perpetrators to justice.
What are the fines?
The fine for unauthorized gas connection and other actions related to gas equipment that are a violation of the law is imposed in a fairly significant amount. In this case, the owner of the structure will additionally be required to remove all installed items. After this, you will still have to contact specialists to install the necessary equipment.
The main fines that will have to be paid for illegal actions to obtain gas intended for use for domestic purposes by citizens include:
- The company acting as a gas supplier will disconnect the line or charge an additional fee.
- What are the penalties for connecting gas to the stove? If this process is carried out independently or by third-party specialists who do not have the necessary license and work permit, then the violator will have to pay the gas supply company 35 thousand rubles.
- If you install a gas water heater yourself, then in this case the fine for gas will be equal to 45 thousand rubles. The same applies to the situation when another organization that does not have a license for this process is invited for these purposes.
- Often, after disconnecting the line, people make a new connection in another part of the gas main. In this case, the fine for gas in the house is re-imposed, and its size can be significantly increased.
- In addition, administrative penalties are applied to violators. For private individuals, a fine of 2 thousand rubles is imposed, but officials are required to pay an amount of 3 to 4 thousand rubles. If the violator is a company, then it will be fined 40 thousand rubles.
- Individuals may even be subject to criminal liability for illegal gasification of a private home. Punishment can be imprisonment for up to two years.
- If, due to the identified violations, an emergency situation arises that leads to the death of people due to a gas leak, then the owners of such houses or apartments are given more severe penalties, represented by imprisonment for a term of up to five years.
Thus, fines for gas theft, unauthorized gasification and installation of various equipment powered by this resource are truly significant and serious. Therefore, before violating the law, all people must carefully evaluate the appropriateness of the actions taken.
What can a consumer be fined for?
Domestic legislation gives the right to subject consumers to fines in various situations.
But all of them can be divided into 2 categories:
- violation of established safety rules when using gas, special gas equipment (boilers, stoves, etc.);
- violation of the accounting procedure and payment for the consumption of “blue” fuel.
And in order to avoid punishment, you should master the nuances, which are sufficient in each of the categories.
Gas and the equipment that supplies it have traditionally been a source of danger. Especially if handled carelessly. What the state has to fight by massively punishing consumers with fines
No. 1 - violation of safety rules
The Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (as the Code of Administrative Offenses is abbreviated) states that persons who do not comply with the rules for maintaining gas boilers, stoves, dispensers, meters and any other gas equipment can be punished.
Namely, they do not adhere to the deadlines and frequency of performing the procedures established by the governing documents for maintenance, repair or performing necessary work on gas equipment. This also includes reluctance to receive required services.
Moreover, fines for the improper use of gas in an apartment are identical to the fines that are imposed for the improper use of gas by citizens living in private houses.
To avoid fines when using gas, you must comply with the requirements established for this area. Namely, to ensure the safety of using equipment by regularly performing procedures for its maintenance, repair, and, if necessary, replacement
This area of legislation is regulated by Article 9.23 of the Code of Administrative Offences .
This article of the Code states that a violation is:
- Refusal to sign an agreement under which maintenance and repair of all gas equipment is performed. For this act, the perpetrator will have to pay a fine of 1-2 thousand rubles.
- Failure to comply with frequency, deadlines, and quality standards for repairs and maintenance of any gas equipment. For such an offense you will have to transfer 1-2 thousand rubles to the budget.
- Not allowing specialists from gas organizations to carry out the required procedures for maintenance and repair of any gas equipment. This clause is considered valid if the owner of the property was notified of the upcoming work, and in the prescribed manner, that is, in writing. This act is punishable by a fine of 1-2 thousand rubles.
- Avoidance of replacing gas equipment installed in housing, if such a procedure is mandatory. For example, this clause comes into force if a stove, boiler or any other appliance is technically faulty and the owner of the premises has been notified of this, but he does not take effective measures to eliminate the danger. The penalty for the described act is 1-2 thousand rubles.
Moreover, in any of the above cases, it is not always possible to get away with only small sums.
The most important thing is that consumers must understand: the most terrible consequence of unsafe gas use is not fines, but a significant threat to the life and health of relatives, friends and other people living nearby
Since paragraph 5 of the same article 9.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses requires more severe measures to be applied to violators if they do not want to carry out maintenance, repairs, or replacement of the boiler or other equipment in a timely and efficient manner. They also do not provide access to specialists and their actions endanger the lives of other people. In this case, you will have to pay 10-30 thousand rubles.
In addition, paragraph 6 states that any repeated offense entails a fine of 2-5 thousand rubles.
The legislation allows violators to be punished under several articles at once. Therefore, it is quite possible that if you are punished again and there is a threat to the lives of other residents, you will have to pay up to 30 thousand rubles in accordance with the requirements of paragraph 5 and up to 5 thousand based on paragraph 6 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. As a result, the amount of recovery can reach 35 thousand rubles.
No. 2 - violation of accounting or payment procedures
You should know that for violation of the accounting or payment procedure, the gas consumer will face much more severe fines than for neglecting safety.
Fine for illegal gas connection
In such situations, Art . 7.19 Code of Administrative Offences . Since it specifies what the fine should be for illegally connecting a consumer to gas. And it states that the home owner will have to pay 10-15 thousand rubles to the state.
Moreover, you must understand that unauthorized connection includes such actions as replacing boilers, connecting stoves without permission, remodeling with moving any gas appliances.
As well as independent shutdown or replacement of meters, any other interference in their operation. For example, the use of magnets to reduce gas consumption.
Today, moderate fines are imposed for the unsafe use of gas equipment. The main task of which is to reason with consumers. But Russians do not draw conclusions, as evidenced by statistics stating that in a number of regions every third owner of gas equipment uses it incorrectly. Therefore, on the sidelines of the gas service and the State Duma, there are rumors about an imminent and impressive increase in the size of fines
An important point is that along with the amount of the fine, you will also have to pay the cost of the “blue” fuel consumed without permission. And at not the most favorable prices. But this will only happen if the responsible persons identify irrefutable facts indicating the fact of theft. The offense is considered committed at the moment the unauthorized actions cease.
Thus, a fine for any unauthorized gas connection after the disconnection procedure (if for some reason the household/apartment was disconnected) is imposed in the amount of 10-15 thousand rubles if the act was committed for the first time. This punishment is prescribed in Art. 7.19 Code of Administrative Offences .
If you try again, you will have to pay up to 80 thousand rubles. Moreover, the punishment will be carried out in accordance with the norms set out in the Criminal Code, namely in its article 215.3 . And if you reconnect to the main gas pipeline, the fine will be up to 200 thousand rubles.
The most severe consequences for consumers arise after the discovery of illegal connections to gas pipelines, and especially if the fact of illegal extraction of energy, that is, theft, is proven. In such cases, fines can amount to tens or even hundreds of thousands of rubles. The reason is that such acts are socially dangerous. For example, according to statistics, gas companies lose up to 6% of their profits due to illegal gas consumption, which forces legislators to regularly increase fines
If an unauthorized connection led to damage to the structure of the gas pipeline or other equipment, then the amount of penalties can reach 400-500 thousand rubles.
The listed fines, imposed in accordance with the above-mentioned article of the Criminal Code, can be replaced by payments in an amount equal to wages or any other income of the culprit for a certain period (from 6 to 18 months).
Penalties for gas theft
If it is established that an unauthorized connection to any gas pipeline was made for the purpose of illegally taking “blue” fuel and the fact is proven, then the punishment will be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Criminal Code, Article 158, paragraph 3 . Where does it say that theft of gas is punishable by a fine, the amount of which will be 100-500 thousand rubles. The fixed amount can be replaced by a penalty in the amount of wages for 1-3 years.
In addition, the legislation allows limiting the offender’s freedom for up to one and a half years with the simultaneous payment of a fine in the amount of wages from 1 to 6 months.
We talked about the intricacies of official gasification of a country house in the following material.
It would be useful to remind you that illegal use of gas and equipment can lead to a situation where even a large fine will not be enough. And this happens regularly, and people regularly die because of unscrupulous consumers. This is confirmed in the photo that was taken in Fryazino, immediately after the explosion in the apartment, which occurred due to the fault of the homeowner
If an unauthorized connection led to the theft of gas on a so-called especially large scale, then the fine can reach a million rubles. Moreover, at the same time, the culprit may have his freedom restricted (up to 2 years). The penalty will be the same if the act was committed by an organized group.
In both cases, a fixed amount can be replaced by a fine, the amount of which will be equal to the income of the offender for a certain period (up to 5 years). In this case, restriction of freedom for up to 18 months is possible.
Since the severity of the punishment depends on the volume of illegally taken gas, you should also know that Art. 158 indicates:
- grand theft - when damage is caused in an amount exceeding 250 thousand rubles;
- The theft of “blue” fuel worth more than a million rubles is considered especially large-scale
Moreover, it does not matter to the law where the unauthorized selection occurred - in an apartment or a private house - the fine for gas will be the same. That is, only the presence of intent and the severity of the offense are taken into account.
How to connect correctly?
To prevent a significant fine from being imposed for illegally connecting a private home to a gas main, certain requirements and conditions must be met. To do this, the owner of the building implements the following actions:
- Initially, you need to decide which gas service company operates in the specific region where the building is located;
- you must write a statement addressed to the head of the institution;
- it states the need to connect a particular house to gas, and may also indicate maintenance, installation of certain equipment, or relocation of an existing gas water heater;
- the date and time for a visit to the house by the company’s specialists is set;
- based on the available data, the organization’s employees draw up an estimate, which is signed by the owner of the house;
- services are paid for by the applicant, after which the necessary work is carried out by specialists;
- The owner of the house accepts the work, after which the act is signed.
Only under such conditions can one avoid imposing a significant fine for theft of gas from a private home. At the same time, you can be sure that all actions were performed professionally, so in no way will gas equipment cause an accident or other negative consequences.
Fines for theft in an apartment building
Even in apartment buildings, people often install an additional line from the gas main, which allows them to use gas without paying. Usually neighbors notice such violations, so they contact the housing department or supervisory authorities with complaints.
Such actions lead to the fact that the gas may explode, therefore creating a danger to the health and life of people, as well as to their property.
Regardless of the amount of gas stolen, the perpetrators will be prosecuted. Additionally, the gas service will require compensation for damage caused as a result of unauthorized gas connection. Its size can reach 35 thousand rubles.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
The video attached below will help you understand why the amount of fines in Russia has recently increased significantly. And also figure out how cases of unauthorized connection and illegal gas withdrawal are detected and what happens for this:
After watching the following video, you can be convinced that unauthorized connection to any pipeline is an illegal and very dangerous act, for which you will have to pay, at least financially:
The use of gas equipment must be safe for the homeowner, his household and surrounding people. Therefore, for the use of faulty equipment or its untimely maintenance, fines are threatened, the amount of which and the procedure for collection are clearly prescribed in the legislation. .
But in Russia they are even tougher on people who try to act dishonestly, trying to unauthorizedly connect to pipelines or steal gas.
Would you like to supplement the above material with useful comments? Or can you share your own experience of paying fines with other users? Leave your comments, ask questions to our experts and other site visitors, participate in the discussion - the feedback form is located below the article.
Punishment for stealing gas from neighbors
Often, owners of private or dacha plots do not want to pay for gas themselves, so they connect to a pipeline running on a neighboring plot. This allows them to use unaccounted for gas that their neighbors pay for.
If such a violation is detected, gas service employees go to the site to check the correct connection and make sure that gas is being used illegally. The culprit is assigned an amount equal to the damage caused. Additionally, its structure is disconnected from gas.
If citizens themselves discover that their neighbors have connected to their gas pipeline, they are not allowed to install plugs, as this is also considered a violation, so they can also be held accountable by gas service workers.
Fines for theft
If theft is discovered, involving connection to a gas main running in a neighboring area, then fines are imposed for this on the basis of Art. 7.19 Code of Administrative Offences. Liability depends on the status of the offender:
- individuals pay from 10 to 15 thousand rubles;
- officials are given a punishment in the amount of 30 to 80 thousand rubles;
- legal entities have to pay fines ranging from 100 to 150 thousand rubles.
If there is evidence with which to allege significant theft, violators are often even brought to criminal liability. For this purpose, the norms and information from Art. 158 of the Criminal Code. Under such conditions, different penalties are used:
- a fine of up to 500 thousand rubles, and it can also be replaced by the offender’s income for three years;
- involvement in forced labor for up to 5 years;
- restriction of freedom up to 18 months;
- imprisonment for up to 6 years.
Some penalties can be applied in combination, so gas theft is considered a truly significant crime, for which serious fines and other penalties are imposed.
Violation of safety rules
This category is fully controlled by Article 9.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (Code of Administrative Offences).
Violation of the deadlines and frequency of maintenance work of VDGO and VKGO
Persons responsible for monitoring the condition of intra-house (management companies, HOAs or private individuals) and intra-apartment gas equipment (apartment owners) may be held administratively liable in the form of a fine for failure to comply with the requirements for the quality, timing and frequency of maintenance work.
The following amounts are determined:
- individuals – from 1 to 2 thousand rubles;
- officials - from 5 to 20 thousand rubles;
- legal entities – from 40 to 100 thousand rubles.
This is a vivid example of how not only action, but also inaction can lead to punishment. Administrative liability is also assumed for avoiding concluding a maintenance agreement with a specialized organization.
Therefore, in order to avoid fines, enter into a contract for the maintenance of VDGO on time (if you represent a management company or own a private house) or VKGO (if you own an apartment), and require the contractor to timely perform the full range of work in accordance with the law.
Denial of admission to a gas service employee
If employees of a specialized organization knock on your apartment to carry out scheduled maintenance and repair work on gas equipment, and you do not allow them into the apartment, then administrative liability is also provided in the form of a fine:
- individuals – from 1 to 2 thousand rubles;
- officials - from 5 to 20 thousand rubles;
- legal entities – from 40 to 100 thousand rubles.
It is worth remembering that a fine is imposed only if you were previously notified of the work. If there was no notification, and the gas workers are breaking into the apartment, you have every right not to let them in. Of course, except in critical situations when there is a possibility of an explosion.
Avoidance of replacing faulty equipment
If gas equipment (for example, a stove or boiler) was found to be faulty as a result of the inspection (working intermittently or the service life of the device has expired), then you must replace them. Penalties are also established for evading this requirement:
- individuals – from 1 to 2 thousand rubles;
- officials - from 5 to 20 thousand rubles;
- legal entities – from 40 to 100 thousand rubles.
It is definitely worth remembering that if the service life has expired, but the gas equipment works flawlessly, then after a check and with the consent of the gas service, it can be used for another year. Then it needs to be checked again.
If an accident occurs due to your fault
If, in the event of the above actions or inactions, an accident occurs or a threat to human health arises, then all fines will increase multiple:
- individuals – from 10 to 30 thousand rubles;
- officials - from 50 to 100 thousand rubles;
- legal entities – from 100 to 400 thousand rubles.
In addition, you will also be required to provide financial compensation to all victims of the tragedy.
IMPORTANT!
Do not allow such precedents to happen; treat the condition of your gas equipment with full responsibility! The danger is not in fines, but in the threat to your health and those around you, remember this!
Repeated violation
For repeated administrative violations, fines also increase:
- individuals – from 2 to 5 thousand rubles;
- officials - from 10 to 40 thousand rubles or disqualification for military service from one to three years;
- legal entities – from 100 to 400 thousand rubles or suspension of activities for up to 90 days.
It is also worth remembering that punishment can be for several articles at once, so the fines will simply be summed up.
The nuances of fraud with counters
Many people are interested in what fines they have to pay for the gas meter if the seals are deliberately broken or various devices are used to reduce the readings. Fraud can consist of various actions:
- turning off meters, which leads to underestimated indicators;
- blocking the device mechanism, for which special magnets or other similar devices are used;
- dismantling the metering device while the gas supply contract is in force.
All of the above actions are illegal, so violators will be subject to severe penalties.
How subscribers steal gas
Technically, gas theft can be carried out by manipulating metering devices and by unauthorized connection to gas supply networks.
Fraud with gas meters
- Self-disabling gas meters to underestimate readings.
- Blocking the counting mechanism of the meter with a neodymium magnet.
- Dismantling of gas consumption metering devices in the period preceding the conclusion of a gas supply contract.
Unauthorized connection to gas supply networks
- Removing seals and plugs in case of gas supply restrictions. In September-October 2022 alone, employees of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Rostov-on-Don LLC identified 300 cases of violation of the integrity of seals on gas metering devices.
- Unauthorized connection to the network using homemade circuits.
- Carrying out tapping into low pressure main pipes.
In June 2022, the owner of a warehouse hangar from Yekaterinburg posted an advertisement on the Internet for renting out premises. Employees of Ekaterinburggaz JSC accidentally saw him. The photographs attached to the advertisement clearly showed gas-consuming equipment powered through the “left input”. Employees of the gas supply company contacted the Department of Economic Security and the PC of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Yekaterinburg, the man was caught red-handed and admitted his guilt. The case has been sent to court. According to JSC Ekaterinburggaz, during six months of free gas use, the entrepreneur caused damage to the company in the amount of about 200 thousand rubles.
What are the meter penalties?
The fine for breaking the gas seal on the meter or for damaging it in other ways varies from 2 to 15 thousand rubles. It depends on whether the process is done intentionally, as well as on when the violation is detected and whether it led to a decrease in the performance of the device.
The size of the fine necessarily significantly exceeds the gas fee, so there will be no savings at all. When imposing a fine, the payment is initially recalculated, for which the indicators of the last inspection are taken into account, and then the consumption rate for all months is applied. Therefore, you will have to pay the funds according to the calculation, and a fine will be charged for violations of the law.
