- On what grounds can the electricity be switched off?
- How can I solve the problem myself?
- What can be done while there is no electricity?
On what grounds can turn off the electricity?
According to the current laws, you can turn off the lights at home if the non-payment is 3 or more normative monthly electricity charges. In addition, the UK is obliged to notify the defaulter about its intentions 30 days before the power outage. If at the end of this period you have not paid the debt, another notification must come, which must be issued against receipt. The last notice that is issued to you on hand, says that if you do not pay off the rent for 3 days, the management company will legally disconnect electricity.
This information is true and is taken from Government Decree of May 6, 2011 No. 354 "On the provision of public services to owners and users of premises in multi-apartment buildings and residential buildings."
If in your case the procedure was not the same, for example, the light was turned off for non-payment without a warning and the relevant court decision, you can complain to the appropriate authorities - the prosecutor's office or the Federal Antimonopoly Service( FAS).Also, when you find that there is no electricity, you probably will be wondering - "where to call?".First of all, call your management company, utilities or condominiums, which will certainly tell why it happened.
How to solve the problem yourself?
To begin with, you need to find out on what basis the light was turned off and whether or not the electricians had the right to touch your meter at all. Of course, if you did not receive a notification in writing, this indicates that the trip occurred without warning. In this case, you need to complain to the above bodies. You can also say that the illegal de-energization of the apartment caused you a number of problems, namely:
- The food in the refrigerator was gone, which stopped working.
- Because of the darkness, you stumbled and damaged anything.
If you still attach evidence to this - a certificate of injury and sue the management company on the basis of arbitrariness, you can get a good compensation, which will cover part of the non-payment for which you turned off the light in the house or apartment. There are also many nuances about which it is better to talk with a lawyer, for example, what to do if there is a default for a long time but no one lives in the apartment.
If the procedure for power outage for non-payment was carried out legally, and the Criminal Code acted in accordance with a court decision, you will have to pay the debt to begin with, receive an appropriate receipt and visit the management company. There you will have to pay for the connection, the cost of which the organization itself will say( usually require a payment of 1000-1500 rubles).After paying all debts, an electrician is obliged to turn on the lights for you not later than in 24 hours, the time set by law,
What can be done while there is no electricity?
There are several ways that you can turn on the light while it's turned off for non-payment. Some, as you understand, illegal and threaten with decent penalties, and some are quite legitimate and will help solve short-term difficulties. So, in order, we list all possible ways of solving the problem:
- Have you turned off the electricity in the apartment and want to turn it back on? If the apartment building is paneled, then for sure you know that between the neighboring apartments the sockets are installed opposite each other in the void. You can remove your outlet and arrange with a neighbor to make a jumper, thanks to which you will have a light. Of course, this is not legal and the neighbor will have to repay, and when problems with non-payment are resolved and an electrician will come to connect your apartment, do not forget to remove the jumper!
- The legal way - again, to negotiate with a neighbor, so that while the electricity is turned off, an extension cord could be plugged into the outlet and delivered to your apartment. Thus, you can connect lamps and not too powerful household appliances.
- If you turned off the light for non-payment in a private house or in the country, a mobile power station can help out. It is not very expensive and can also be saved if the electricity is turned off during the repair work. About how to connect the generator to the network at home, we told you in the relevant article!
- Also in the apartment you can, by analogy with the transfer, connect an extension cord from the socket of the neighbor, on the other end of which there will not be a block of outlets, but one more plug. Before doing this, it is still recommended to consult an electrician, whether you can do it in your case, endure wiring, etc.
- Solar connection can also solve the problem. If in the country you have alternative sources of electricity, do not forget that they will work even if you turn off the light for non-payment.
We draw your attention to the fact that it's very dangerous and unlawful to climb into the floor switchboard and connect the wires to the sealed counter. First, it is regarded as a theft and punished by high fines. Secondly, without the skills in an electrician to work with live wiring is very dangerous, so it is better to solve the problem with debts, contact the management company and fill out the documents, after which you will already be connected to the light!
Video about how the generator works in the country:
That's all I wanted to tell you about this! We hope that now you know what to do if you turn off the light for non-payment, where to turn and how to connect the electricity yourself!
It will be interesting to read:
- Connection diagram of single-phase electricity meter to 220V network
- How to pay less for light legally
- Low voltage in the network - where to complain
