Payer and account number
The header shows the address of the property, the payer's name and the personal account number. This number links the flat to its charges and payments, so it is the one to quote when paying and in any enquiry.
Basics
The basics
Bills from different buildings and regions look different, but they all answer the same questions: who pays, for which month, for which services, in what volume, how much has been charged and how much is left to pay. Once you learn to find these answers on the page, a new bill stops being intimidating and mistakes become visible at a glance.
The total is the last line of the bill, not the first. Read it only once you understand what it is made of.
This page describes the general layout of a payment document under Russian law, without reference to any particular building or provider. The order of lines, column names and set of services on your bill may differ. If you do not recognise a line, first look for its explanation on the back or in the notes, then ask whoever issued the document. Rules differ in other countries, so if you live outside Russia, check your own rules.
What a bill is made of
Six blocks you will find on almost any payment document for housing and utility services.
Billing period
The month the charges are for. It does not always match the month the bill arrives: the document for the past month usually comes at the start of the next one.
Services
The list of what you pay for: upkeep of the property, cold and hot water, wastewater, heating, electricity, gas and waste collection. Each service has its own line and its own calculation method.
Volume
How much of each resource was counted for the period. Next to it you can usually see where the figure came from: meter readings, a consumption standard or another method. This is the first thing to check against your own records.
Charged
The amount for the current period for each service. Recalculations for past months may also appear here, with a plus or minus sign and a note on what they are for.
Amount due and arrears
The total you need to pay. It takes into account the month's charges, your payments and any arrears or overpayment from earlier periods. If the total is noticeably higher than the amount charged, look for the arrears line.
Related sections
- Guides
Step-by-step guides: how to check a monthly bill, submit meter readings on time, ask for a recalculation and keep your payments straight when you move.
- Documents
Which utility payment papers to keep and why, how billing by meter differs from billing by consumption standard, and why proof of payment is worth keeping.
- Terms
A resident's glossary: account number, billing period, recalculation, single payment document, meters, consumption standard, verification and who is who.
Sources
- Housing Code of the Russian Federation, Articles 155 and 157
- Rules for the Provision of Utility Services (Russian Government Resolution No. 354 of 6 May 2011)
These materials are based on the Russian Housing Code and the Russian Rules for the Provision of Utility Services. Deadlines, billing methods and tariffs for a particular building also depend on the management contract, decisions of the general meeting and regional regulations, so check important questions against official sources and your own documents. Rules differ in other countries: if you live elsewhere, check the rules that apply to you.