Russians named ways to pay less for utilities

Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Gulnara Ruchkina in conversation with aif.ru told how Russians can pay less for utilities.

According to her, part of the country’s population has the right to compensation from the state. If a citizen’s payment amount exceeds 22% of income, he can receive a subsidy. In some regions, income may be lower. For example, Muscovites can calculate cash payments at 10%, and in St. Petersburg – at 14%.

The country also has preferential rates for war and labor veterans, combat veterans, disabled people of groups I and II and war invalids. In addition, residents of besieged Leningrad and besieged Sevastopol, Chernobyl victims, their widows, as well as victims of radiation at the Semipalatinsk test site and employees of rural schools can receive a discount.

Thus, senior citizens aged 70 to 79 years can pay only half the amount for major repairs, and 80-year-old residents cannot pay at all. Military personnel and their families also have a 50% discount on utility bills.

If a citizen does not fall under any preferential category, he can save by installing meters. It is more profitable to pay for electricity during the half-peak zone (from 10:00 to 17:00 and from 21:00 to 23:00 hours) and the night zone (from 23:00 to 07:00 hours), since payment is made according to reduced tariffs.