How to install a gas meter: FAQ

Regional gas companies appealed the government decree of 2019 to reduce gas consumption. Now, according to the court decision, household consumers who do not have gas meters will be forced to pay for gas at the old rates, which are three times higher than current ones.

Old and new gas consumption standards

Current standards (cubic meter of gas per person per month):

- gas stove in the presence of a centralized supply of hot water – 3.28;

- gas stove in the absence of a centralized supply of hot water and a gas water heater – 5.39;

- gas stove and gas water heater – 10.49.

New old standards:

 - gas stove in the presence of a centralized supply of hot water – 9.8;

- gas stove in the absence of a centralized supply of hot water and a gas water heater – 18.3;

- gas stove and gas water heater – 23.6.

If you think that such a plot twist with payment according to the standards is not for you - here are the answers to the main questions - how to install a gas meter.

Do I have to install a meter?

According to the law "On ensuring commercial metering of natural gas" – yes, you have to.

Commercial metering for apartments and houses, depending on the gas equipment available to the consumer, is implemented:

- in case of complex use, including for heating, from January 1, 2012;

- for heating water and cooking from January 1, 2016;

- only for cooking from January 1, 2021;

Commencement of commercial metering means that meters must be installed before the indicated dates.

At the same time, the law prohibits the cessation of gas supplies to the house if its co-owners refused a common meter.

Another question is who has to pay for the installation of this device.

Who installs the meter?

Installation is carried out by a gas distribution company using the funds that are laid down in the tariff that the consumer pays.

You can see the schedule for installing meters at the expense of regional gas companies in the company serving your region – on the website or in customer service centers. Also, companies are posting ads in the entrances of houses.

According to the information of the Regional Gas Company, meters are now being installed for consumers, without metering at all. NEURC does not allocate funds for houses already provided with common meters. The current tariff for 2020 over 20 GDS operators provides for the installation of about 32 thousand individual meters.

Also, the meter can be installed by another company that has the necessary licenses and permission to perform such work – at the expense of the consumer. In this case, the customer must submit a written application to specialized enterprises.

The contractor, after installing the meters, is obliged to issue an act and a settlement document, if the meter is installed at the expense of the consumer.

What are types of the meters, their pros and cons?

There are three main types (according to the principle of operation):

-membrane. There is the chamber inside, which is filled with gas. Such counters are durable, reliable, there is a service, spare parts, manufacturers. But they are not cheap.

- rotary. The basic principle is that the gas flow rotates the rotor. Experts consider them to be short-lived and unreliable. For example, bearings may fail within a year. But they are cheaper than membrane ones.

- ultrasonic. Ultrasound “shines through” the flow. This type of meter is used primarily in industry.

This is how meters look like (from left to right): rotary, membrane, ultrasonic.

Sizes (G-1.6, G-2.5, G-4, G-6, G-8, G-10, etc.) are the power of the meter. It means how many cubic meters of gas passes through the meter per hour. G-1.6 is for a household with a stove, G-2.5 is for stove and water heater and so on, depending on the capacity of the equipment.

How much is a gas meter and its installation?

An ordinary household membrane meter costs about UAH 900.

The tariff of GDS operators provides for about UAH 2400 for the installation of a meter. This is the cost of the meter itself and 1.5 meters of pipe, two union nuts, the work of locksmiths. Installation prices range from UAH 4 to UAH 7 thousand among the companies.

The safety requirements must be met: to place the meter at a distance from gas appliances. Sometimes this is not possible due to the "length" of the pipe provided for in the tariff. Therefore, part of the materials is paid by the consumer, including the replacement of old taps or hoses.

In the same way, the consumer will have to pay extra money if he has a “difficult” apartment to install the meter.

How to prepare for the installation of the counter?

Before and during the installation of the meter, the GDS operator will check the compliance of the installation of gas appliances with the existing production and technical documentation, the gas pipeline laying and construction of the premises, the requirements of the project and applicable laws. Be sure to check for draft in the smoke and ventilation ducts.

Gas appliances installed or replaced unauthorizedly are disconnected from the gas supply system with documentation in accordance with applicable law.

Required documents

The meter installation procedure provides for the provision of originals and copies of the following documents:

• passport
• identification code;
• documents of ownership of the house (apartment);
• technical passport for the house (apartment).

When installing the meter at your own expense you need to sign:

• contract for the installation of a domestic gas meter;
• certificate of completion of installation of a domestic gas meter;
• gas meter acceptance certificate.
• When installing a free gas meter, you need to sign:
• contract for the installation of a domestic gas meter;
• certificate of completion of installation of a domestic gas meter;
• the act of transferring the household gas meter to storage (since the meter is installed by the gas distribution company, it remains on its balance sheet, and the consumer is responsible for its safety).

How, by whom and when have the meter to be verified?

The meter is checked by the GDS operator once every 8 years.

There is a problem with the cost of the procedure provided for in the tariff, the amount of funds allocated and the number of meters that require regular verification. More precisely, their number exceeds the amount allocated for verification. Also, NEURC does not allocate funds for the installation of additional equipment for verification.

In what cases the meter cannot be installed?

There are two simple reasons: the first is if the owner of the apartment does not open the door and does not let the workers of the gas distribution company. The second – while consuming gas at a rate is more profitable than with a meter.

How many gas meters are in Ukraine?

According to NEURC, 89% of consumers in Ukraine use commercial metering as of January 1, 2019. There are consumers who use natural gas for cooking who do not use natural gas meterring, Their amount in the country as a whole is 1.3 million. They are mainly concentrated in large cities. Among the total number of natural gas consumers, 29% of them use subsidies. Due to tariffs in 2016-2018, more than 600 thousand individual meters for a total of UAH 1.043 billion were installed in Ukraine.

According to the data of the Regional Gas Company, as of the end of May, out of 8.1 million customers, 7.55 million households has individual gas metering, 0.5 million has common metering, 0.55 million – do not have any.