The idea to include the installation of meters in utility bills confirmed the economic slavery of Russians

The domestic housing and communal services sector is rapidly growing with innovations. Now, for example, it has been decided to include the installation of smart water and heat meters in its tariffs. The importance of using artificial intelligence “at all stages of resource accounting” is stated in the report of the Ministry of Construction. As the agency clarifies, the introduction of these devices in non-residential buildings will begin in 2025, and in residential buildings from 2027. It seems that the initiators are full of quite good intentions: the measure is designed to increase transparency in the field of charging for housing and communal expenses. But there is one global problem: we will pay for everything.

There is one reinforced concrete pattern: no matter what happens in the huge public utilities, the effect is always not in favor of the population. Each time, opening a mailbox with payment receipts for housing and communal services, people shudder at the unmotivated jump in the amount.

And there is no doubt: henceforth, you will have to shudder even more often. In this sense, a significant turning point has occurred in recent months: in July, tariffs increased by almost 5% – okay, it could still be tolerated … But then, the housing and communal services sector brought down its appetites on us like a snowball. In December, the authorities carried out an unscheduled indexation (officially – by 9%), in January-February it turned out that in reality, payments “heavier” by 12%, 24%, and for someone by all 50% – due to recalculation for heat, of course, is not in favor of the tenants.

Since March, an increase in contributions for overhaul and the introduction of an alternative measurement system for the standard for general house needs has been announced. Accordingly, April receipts will be recalculated. Guess which way?

Now, in addition to traditional positions, we will have to pay for the cleaning of entrances, stairwells and elevators, hot and cold water, electricity and heat for common spaces. Previously, this was done by management companies. The new bills have not yet been put into mailboxes, and they are already preparing to withdraw new additional money from us for housing and communal services: this time for “smart” meters. Which, by the way, are by no means worth a penny … But a year ago, the authorities almost swore that the installation would be carried out at the expense of management and resource supply companies. No matter how.

Today, all these innovations put on the conveyor are becoming perhaps the main anti-social factor, a trouble-free tool for pumping money out of the pockets of law-abiding citizens.

Payment discipline in housing and communal services is the highest of all sectors: until recently it reached 95% across the country. At the same time, people have no idea how economically justified all these endless numbers in receipts are and why they change from month to month exclusively in one direction – increase.

Of course, you can suspect a trick, but there is absolutely nowhere to complain, since the activities of management companies (MC) and resource supply organizations (RSO) are allowed by the state, and in such an uncontrolled, unreported form. No, formally, you can devote your life to checking the numbers in your receipts or applying to the court about the justification for their increase: but which of the normal, working people has time for this. It’s easier to spit and pay, which is probably what the authors of all these ongoing communal innovations are counting on.

Residents are excluded, alienated from decision-making processes. For example, they cannot affect either the timing, or the composition, or the quality (traditionally low) of major repairs, the contributions for which in most regions increased by 30-50% in 2022. This financial and technical procedure imposed on people is needed only by contractors who have received tenders from regional authorities. In fact, this is an extremely profitable mechanism for the development of financial resources, with a high percentage of collection and good regulatory elaboration. Here both resource monopolies benefit, and the state.

But the little man is invariably bad. To date, the debts of Russians for utilities exceed a trillion rubles. A sharp jump occurred as a result of the December indexation: it seems that the population is no longer able to digest all this tariff and regulatory lawlessness, the limit of its payment possibilities is close to complete exhaustion. Conscientious consumers do not neglect their duties as long as they can, as long as they manage to save money – literally on the bare necessities, including food and medicines. And then suddenly turn off the light, or gas, or water? Or even get evicted…

The domestic sphere of housing and communal services, which by its very nature should serve citizens, suppresses their finances, subordinating them to their will. And no world experience is her decree. Within the system of condominiums, widely developed in the US and Europe, major repairs are made at the discretion of the owners when they need it. People gathered, consulted, carried out and approved the estimate, and began to pay dues. At the same time, money is not lost, does not flow into someone’s pockets. As an owner, a person is responsible for the condition of the property.

The Russians, on the other hand, have only one duty – to blindly and resignedly pay public utilities for their new and new initiatives, putting up with an inexplicable, disorderly, uncontrolled increase in tariffs for housing and communal services. And this is the real slavery – housing and communal.