Payment Bills with Deceit: Popenko Explained How Heat and Communal Energy Use Tariffs for Fraud.

The Expert Revealed Manipulations of Heat and Communal Energy with Payment Bills

Head of the Union of Consumers of Communal Services, Oleg Popenko, uncovered a scheme of manipulations used by the heat and communal energy enterprise to complicate the verification of payments from Ukrainians.

Ukraine has two types of heating tariffs: standard and dual-rate. As the expert explained, many enterprises apply the dual-rate tariff not for the convenience of consumers but to avoid scrutiny regarding charges.

“It is necessary to take annual data from meters, compare all charges throughout the year, and only then check the correctness of the calculations of heat and communal energy. There may be fraud here, although it is legal,” Popenko noted.

The expert identifies three types of overcharging Ukrainians in the housing and communal services sector and recommends carefully checking bills and demanding detailed calculations from heat suppliers. However, the lack of an effective state body leaves consumers without appropriate protection in this sector.

According to sources, Ukrainians have problems with double charging for communal services.