Heat rates in Almaty remain unchanged
In the cold months of October, November, and December last year, residents of Almaty noticed an increase in their heating and hot water bills. This rise can be attributed to the lower outdoor temperatures, which necessitate a higher temperature for the heat carrier, resulting in increased fuel consumption by enterprises generating heat energy.
The colder weather leads to a higher heating charge due to the increased fuel consumption. Residents of houses with different calendar periods for heat energy accounting and calculations may pay different amounts for heat supply due to these weather conditions during their specific accounting period.
Two adjacent houses built according to the same project can consume different amounts of heat energy due to factors such as uninsulated utility rooms, imbalances in heating systems, additional radiator sections, and "warm floors" in individual apartments.
The price per unit of heated area changes depending on various conditions, with the outdoor temperature being one of the factors. For houses not equipped with OPUTE, heat charges are calculated monthly based on values approved by the antimonopoly authority: October - 31 tenge/m2, November - 156 tenge/m2, December - 208 tenge/m2.
Consumers pay for centralized heating and hot water based on the readings of the common household heat energy meter installed in their building. The meter monitors the volume of heat energy supplied to the building, records the amount consumed, and recalculates it for the convenience of consumers.
It's worth noting that the tariff for multi-apartment residential buildings equipped with common household heat energy meters remains unchanged at 4810.63 tenge/Gcal with VAT.
The KSC can request AlTSS to conduct measurements at the balance responsibility boundary to control the parameters of heat energy supplied to the building. Heat supply organizations, such as AlTSS, are not permitted to engage in technical maintenance of houses. The KSC and service companies are responsible for resolving problematic issues related to in-house networks based on contracts concluded between them.
The opposite process can be observed in last year's bills or closer to spring, when the outdoor temperature increases, leading to a decrease in the heating charge. In the future, the costs for heating for residents with different accounting periods may equalize as they pay for heat consumed in different periods.
The current law does not specify particular companies contractually obligated to undertake problematic maintenance of residential buildings with OPUTE; contractual responsibility generally lies with property owners or property management companies depending on the specific agreements and legal frameworks in place. No direct search result provided identifies specific companies obligated by law under OPUTE for such maintenance.
