OREANDA-NEWS. On 5 February 2015, JSC TGC-1 held a working meeting with the representatives of the Petrozavodsk providers of the housing and utility services regarding the transition to direct settlements with heat and hot water consumers.

The TGC-1 Sales Department employees in Petrozavodsk spoke in detail about the future cooperation between JSC TGC-1, on the one hand, and the managing companies and housing cooperatives, on the other.

Starting from 1 February 2015, JSC TGC-1 will generate heat and hot water payment slips for all heat consumers, Petrozavodsk residents and businesses. The first heat payment slips for February will be delivered to consumers in early March 2015.

JSC TGC-1 plans to adhere to the current settlement procedure, mainly direct settlements with Petrozavodsk people for supplied heat. Also, the managing company or the housing cooperative shall make, upon request, a heat supply contract in the manner prescribed by the law.

The TGC-1 employees gave advice to all the representatives of the managing companies and the housing cooperatives to promptly report the information about their facilities, their location and the used heat capacity to the TGC-1 Sales Department. This is due to the fact that JSC PCS Heating Grids has not yet transferred the consumer database.

It is worth noting that the Karelian Office of the Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service has already initiated proceedings in respect of JSC Petrozavodsk Communal Systems – Heating Grids (JSC PCS Heating Grids) on the grounds of violation of the antimonopoly legislation in terms of failure to provide information on the heat supply contracts concluded with consumers.

The representatives of the providers of the housing and utility services inquired about the termination of long-term heat supply contracts with JSC PCS Heating Grids, which were sent to them in late 2014. According to the lawyers present at the meeting, an important condition for the execution of heat supply contracts is the controlled price, which is set by the Russia’s State Committee on Prices and Tariffs. Currently, there is no heat tariff for JSC PCS Heating Grids. Therefore, it is impossible to meet the contractual obligations.

In February-March 2015, a series of meetings with heat producers will take place to discuss the transition period and the conclusion of heat supply contracts.