New fines are being connected to gas stoves

The State Duma intends to sharply tighten penalties for refusing to allow gas service employees into an apartment or house. Now citizens face a fine of 1–2 thousand rubles for this, but the amendments adopted yesterday in the first reading increase this amount to 5–10 thousand rubles. In case of repeated violations, legal entities face up to 2 million rubles. Those who do not allow modern chimney sweeps, specialists in “maintenance of smoke and ventilation ducts,” into the house will have to pay the same fines. The authors of the amendments claim that 70% of household gas explosions occur due to “non-functional home ventilation ducts.” However, during the discussion of the bill, a number of deputies recalled that citizens may not let gas workers in for fear of becoming victims of scammers.

The draft amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation were submitted to the State Duma in July 2023 by a group of members of the Federation Council, including Andrei Kutepov and Akhmat Salpagarov. The main innovations concern Art. 9.23 of the code, which deals with violations of the “rules for ensuring the safe use and maintenance” of gas equipment. For refusal to allow a gas service specialist into an apartment or house, the authors propose to fine citizens 5–10 thousand rubles. (now 1–2 thousand), officials – up to 100 thousand rubles. (now up to 20 thousand), and for legal entities – in the amount of up to 500 thousand rubles. (now up to 100 thousand). In case of repeated violations, senators propose charging up to 25 thousand rubles from citizens, and up to 2 million rubles from legal entities. (now up to 5 thousand and up to 200 thousand rubles, respectively). It is also proposed to effectively equate modern chimney sweeps with gas workers, who “perform work… for the purpose of properly maintaining smoke and ventilation ducts in apartment buildings.”

The authors of the bill refer to last year’s statistics from Gazprom Mezhregiongaz. According to the company, 166 incidents with gas equipment were recorded in residential buildings and apartments, as a result of which 315 people were injured, and another 93 citizens died. In 70% of cases, the senators say, the cause of the incidents was “the lack of sufficient ventilation of the premises, mainly due to non-functioning house ventilation ducts.”

The explanatory note recalls that Art. 9.23 appeared in the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation in 2016 after meetings with President Vladimir Putin and the government of the Russian Federation. But “an analysis of law enforcement practice… did not reveal a significant positive effect” from its application – according to the authors, the current sanctions “do not fulfill their preventive measures.” Senators also note the negative effect of the abolition of the state control system for the technical condition of gas supply systems in apartment buildings.

At yesterday’s hearings in the State Duma, Senator Salpagarov reported on “systematic accidents” caused by “the unsatisfactory technical condition of gas equipment, smoke and ventilation ducts.” He also made it clear that the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation are complaining about “insufficient responsibility” of citizens, which leads to “increasing cases of gas explosions.” However, deputy Alexander Aksenenko (SRZP) recalled the “tragedy in Novosibirsk” (probably referring to a gas explosion in February 2023 in a five-story building, when 15 people died after the collapse of two entrances). According to him, there “residents allowed false gas workers into their apartments” (after the explosion, two citizens who introduced themselves as employees of the gas company were arrested). “Your project is aimed at ensuring that people will be in favor of this (refusing to allow scammers into apartments.— “Kommersant”) fine,” the deputy complained. And his colleague Sergei Leonov (LDPR) did not understand who would record such violations: “If this is the State Housing Inspectorate, then it is already overloaded, you will not get anything from them.”

In response, Akhmat Salpagarov recalled that in May 2023, the Russian government issued Resolution No. 859, obliging management companies to hire only specialized organizations, including for monitoring ventilation ducts and chimneys in houses. “False gas workers are being liquidated,” he added, noting that “fining will take place in the existing order.”

Deputy Yaroslav Nilov (LDPR) proposed removing increased fines for citizens from the draft for the second reading. “After all, these are mostly elderly people who are afraid to let (strangers) in.— “Kommersant”) to apartments. They don’t just let people in, they have already become victims of scammers,” the deputy reasoned. He was supported by co-rapporteur, member of the State Duma Committee on State Construction and Legislation Alexander Teterdinko (ER). According to him, fines for citizens were one of the committee’s comments that will be taken into account for the second reading of the amendments: “We will look carefully. Where possible, we will not increase fines.” The fact that the increased responsibility proposed by the amendments requires justification is also stated in the response of the Russian government, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko. The draft was adopted by the State Duma in the first reading, with a month allotted for amendments.

Alexander Voronov