OREANDA-NEWS. October 19, 2011. The Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Tyumen Region (Tyumen OFAS Russia) fined “Urals Heating Supply Network Company” OJSC (“UTSK” OJSC) over 20 million Rubles, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Tyumen OFAS Russia received a petition from residents of an apartment block at No.5, Kommunarov St., Tyumen, about wrong calculation of the costs of district heating services. The antimonopoly body established that to calculate district heating payments “UTSK” OJSC used a formula, which does not match calculations established by Clause 21 of the Rules for providing utility services to citizens, that specifies that heating costs calculating must use meter reading for the previous year, and in the absence of such data the calculation should be made according to the guidelines.

“UTSK” OJSC calculated payments for district heating based on meter reading for the current month, so the costs of heating for residents was very high and the payment for heating services was irregular.

Tyumen OFAS Russia found that “UTSK” OJSC violated Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”.

“Calculating the costs of utility services for owners of residential premises, network organizations should follow the Rules for providing utility services to citizens”, commented the Head of Tyumen OFAS Russia, Dmitry Shalabodov.

Reference:

Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” prohibits actions (omissions) of economic entities with dominant position, that lead or can lead to infringing the interests of other persons.

Under Article 14.31 of the4 Code on Administrative Violations, violation of Article 10 of the Law on Protection of Competition is punishable by an administrative fine upon legal entities – from one hundredth to fifteen hundredths of the income of the violator from selling goods (works, services) on the market, where the administrative violation was committed, but no more than one fiftieth of the overall income of the violator from selling all goods (works, services) and no less that 100,000 Rubles, and if the income of the violator from selling goods (works, services) on the market where the administrative violation was committed exceeds 75% of the overall sum of the income of the violator from selling goods (works, services), - from three thousands to three hundredths of the income of the violator selling goods (works, services) on the market where the administrative violation was committed but no more than one fiftieth of the overall income of the violator from selling goods (works, services) and no less than 100,000 Rubles.