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As the cold season approaches, Uzbekistan’s citizens are actively discussing a new issue related to gas accounting. The concern lies in technical malfunctions of electronic gas meters, which can lead to additional expenses for households. One specialist familiar with this issue raised it on social media, pointing out that due to rapid battery failures in these meters, data on consumed gas is often not recorded correctly or transmitted to the system. Consequently, when the data finally enters the database, it is incorrectly recorded, potentially leading residents to exceed their social gas allowance and end up paying two to three times more.
“The energy system is developing rapidly, with new decisions and laws being introduced daily, but one crucial issue remains neglected. This could create significant challenges for the population during the upcoming cold season. Many may not know that gas meters have a battery, but it fails quickly or burns out, causing the monthly volume of gas passed through the meter to remain unrecorded. As a result, when the accumulated gas volume is entered into the database, it is counted over the limit and charged to the consumer’s account, even though it’s not their fault. But it’s the consumer who ends up paying for it. Nobody seems to be considering this issue,” wrote the user on social media.
The Official Position of “Hududgazta’minot”
In response to the influx of messages, “Hududgazta’minot” issued an official statement explaining how gas consumption and billing are handled for households.
Since May 1, 2024, Uzbekistan has established baseline monthly consumption standards for gas and electricity, which serve as the foundation for billing calculations. The organization assures that in cases of data transmission failures caused by battery issues or other technical malfunctions, the meter retains hourly gas consumption data for the past 90 days. Once the malfunction is resolved, this data is transmitted to the database, and billing is based on actual usage during that period.
The representatives of “Hududgazta’minot” recommend that households regularly verify the meter data with the information in their personal accounts. If discrepancies or data transmission issues are found, the company advises reaching out immediately to a gas service inspector or contacting the hotline at 1104.
What Remains Unresolved?
The issue raised by the specialist raises significant concern, especially given that winter is approaching and gas consumption will rise. As it stands, consumers are now responsible for monitoring whether their meter is transmitting data accurately.
This situation prompts a question: is this the best solution available? Perhaps more attention should be given to the reliability of meter operation to minimize the impact of technical failures on consumers’ expenses. Each such incident decreases public trust in utility services and the broader energy supply system in the country.
The article may contain inaccuracies as it is translated by AI. For more details, please refer to the Russian version of the article. If you notice any inaccuracies, you can send corrections via the Telegram bot: Uzvaibik_bot.
