Gasification estimated at 35k: regulator proposes to reduce the price of contractors’ services

They want to introduce a “Gazprom” tariff for commercial gas producers working under the programme of gasification of houses

Gasification estimated at 35k: regulator proposes to reduce the price of contractors’ services
Photo: Maksim Platonov/realnoevremya.ru

The Tatarstan authorities are not satisfied with reports on incomplete connection of private households of the republic to gas under Putin's programme of social gasification. To speed up the laying of blue fuel networks, the Tatarstan State Committee on Tariffs proposes to switch to a single rate of 35 thousand rubles instead of the current free rates from 100 to 160 thousand rubles, which are put up by commercial contractors. According to the regulator, the unification of the cost of services at an affordable level will lead to a full connection of housing, and not just to the border of the house. It is the high cost of bringing gas inside the house that scares the homeowners of the republic.

100 thousand rubles is a lot for gas supply

The Tatarstan authorities have found an extraordinary solution for carrying out full-fledged gasification of private households, and not a half-hearted execution of Putin's social gasification programme. For the gas supply to stop at the border of a private household, as it is happening now, the regulator proposed to unify the cost of these services at the level of 35 thousand rubles (excluding the cost of design work). This initiative was made by the head of the Tatarstan State Committee on Tariffs, Alexander Grunichev.

“Incomplete connection of private households to gas is associated with the high cost of services for connection within the plots. For example, the standard calculation of the cost of work on a site of 22 metres is about 35 thousand rubles (excluding design work). However, commercial organisations charge a much higher cost for payment (in fact — from 100 to 160 thousand rubles — author's note). In our opinion, commercial organisations should be guided by uniform rates," he said at a recent meeting of the department.

Tariff for Gazprom is 35 thousand

The tariff regulator is convinced that due to the high cost of the service dictated by Gazprom's commercial contractors, there is an incomplete connection of private households to gas under Putin's social gasification programme. Gas does not reach the house, but stops at the border. This is exactly what happened in 2022. According to Alexander Grunichev, last year gas was brought inside in 6 thousand households, and brought to the borders — up to 11 thousand. “They were laid by third-party commercial organisations. At the same time, Gazprom Transgaz Kazan itself performed only single connections (a tariff of 35 thousand rubles was set for it)," Grunichev noted. In other words, in every second house, residents do not use gas, so it remained “outside the threshold”. According to the regulator, the half-hearted execution of the presidential programme is due to the inflated cost of services imposed by commercial contractors. This year, the potential of gasification is 18 thousand households.

Concern about the half-hearted execution of the programme is related to that Tatarstan has established a high special surcharge for gas. According to the ministry, it has grown to 211 rubles per 1 cubic metre of gas transfer. The operator of the social gasification programme will receive about 1 billion rubles at the expense of industrial gas consumers. In terms of the size of the special allowance, Tatarstan was in fifth place out of 24 regions. That is, the programmes are paid for by our enterprises, and the effect is lower than the possibilities. Realnoe Vremya has requested the Gazprom Transgas Kazan, but has not yet received a response.

Concern about the half-hearted execution of the programme is related to that Tatarstan has established a high special surcharge for gas. Photo: Maksim Platonov/realnoevremya.ru

The autumn warning didn't work

Let us remind that last autumn, the tariff regulator issued a formidable warning due to the slow pace of social gasification in Tatarstan. According to Dmitry Sapozhnikov, at the start of the programme, a plan was initially set to connect 9,900 private households, and in May the planned task was adjusted to 10,066 houses for 2022. Three months before the end of the programme, the actual execution barely reaches half.

“This is less than 50% of the plan," said the deputy chairman of the State Committee. We can say that the programme is on the verge of failure, although applications from residents are coming in a large quantity.

According to Dmitry Sapozhnikov, at the moment 29 thousand applications from private homeowners have been submitted, but only 15 thousand applications have been accepted for work. 14 thousand applications were rejected or returned to applicants, he said. As a result, the allowance was not cut, but next year it was increased. But the requirements also seem to be higher.

Luiza Ignatyeva
Tatarstan