A NOTE FOR ELECTRICITY CONSUMERS!!!

One of the regulatory legal acts governing relations between power transmission organisations (hereinafter – PTO), power supply organisations (hereinafter – PSO) and electricity consumers on the retail market is the Rules for the Use of Electric Energy No. 143 of 25.02.2015 (hereinafter – the Rules).

Thus, in accordance with clause 61 of the Rules: “If a violation of commercial metering that is not the consumer’s fault is detected during an inspection of the commercial metering device, the PTO calculates consumption based on the average daily consumption of the previous or subsequent billing period in which the electricity metering devices and circuit were in working order. The calculation period is 30 calendar days from the day the violation is detected until the day commercial metering is restored. Metering must be restored within 30 calendar days from the day the violation is detected. If metering has not been restored after these days have passed since the violation was detected, electricity is calculated based on the permitted capacity under the technical specifications or, in the absence of technical specifications, based on the rated current of the input switching device, assuming 24 hours of use per day.”

Ignorance of or failure to comply with the requirements of the Rules may lead to negative consequences for the consumer, namely recalculation and restriction (termination) of the electricity supply.

Let us look at 2 examples that are currently relevant:

EXAMPLE 1. On 15.05.2021, PTO staff inspected the commercial metering device (hereinafter – CMD) of citizen S. and found that the CMD calibration interval had expired. By issuing an order, the PTO instructed the consumer to have the CMD calibrated and to submit an application for acceptance of the meter. On 14.06.2021, consumer S. eliminated the violation and restored metering.

The PTO calculates electricity consumption for 30 calendar days based on the average daily consumption of the previous or subsequent billing period in which the electricity metering devices and circuit were in working order.

The consumer and the PTO complied with all necessary procedures. No recalculation is made.

EXAMPLE 2. On 02.04.2021, PTO staff inspected the CMD of an LLP (a “Motel with car wash” facility) and found that the calibration interval of the CMD and current transformers had expired. By issuing an order, the PTO instructed the consumer to have the CMD and current transformers calibrated and to submit an application for acceptance of the meter. The LLP did not eliminate the violations within the set deadline (02.05.2021). The meter was accepted only on 17.05.2021, 15 days after the deadline (i.e. 45 days after the violation was detected).

In this case, the PTO calculated electricity based on the permitted capacity under the technical specifications, assuming 24 hours of use per day, namely: W = P perm. x N x 24

P perm. – permitted capacity under the technical specifications;

N – number of days until metering is restored (excluding the 30 calendar days)

24 – hours of use per day

In figures:

W = 250 kW x 15 days x 24 hours = 90,000 kWh (at a tariff of 22.43 tenge excluding VAT, this amounts to 2,018,700 tenge).

We recommend that consumers eliminate violations within the set deadlines, and if you have any questions, please contact us at: 18 Kravtsov St., offices 418, 419, Astana, tel. 28-23-27.

State Institution “Territorial Department

of the Committee for Atomic and Energy

Supervision and Control of the Ministry of Energy

of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Astana”