Bills will increase because of this mistake: what needs to be changed with the water meter

In Ukraine, consumers have been reminded of the need to regularly check water meters. This procedure applies to both cold and hot water meters, and should be carried out approximately every four years to confirm their accuracy and operability.
The State Service for the Protection of Consumer Rights and the Environment has clarified important details regarding this check. They noted that the costs of checking water meters are usually borne by the owner of the device. This is different from gas meters, where this procedure is usually paid for by the gas distribution network operator.
According to the law “On Metrology and Metrological Activities”, periodic checking and maintenance of apartment meters, including their dismantling, transportation and reinstallation, is financed by the owner, unless otherwise specified in the agreement.
The owner of the meter can be not only the resident of the apartment, but also the water utility or the building manager, for example, an apartment building association. Therefore, it is important to understand what type of contract has been concluded:

if the consumer has an individual contract with the water supplier, the costs of the inspection are usually borne by the owner;
in the absence of individual contracts, the inspection can be provided by the service provider at the expense of the subscriber fee.

Who has the right to conduct an inspection
Water meters can be inspected only by specially accredited organizations, which include:

scientific metrological centers that have international authority for calibration and measurements;
metrological centers and verification laboratories that have received official authorization to conduct such procedures.

The typical duration of the inspection is about five days. For this, the meter is dismantled and sent to the laboratory for inspection. Removal and reinstallation of the device is usually carried out in the presence of the consumer and documented. Some companies offer inspection without dismantling, but it may be more expensive.
What are the consequences of overdue verification
If the meter is not checked on time, its readings will not be taken into account. This will lead to the fact that water charges will be made according to consumption standards, and not according to actual data.
As a result, the amounts in payments can increase significantly. Often, payment according to standards can exceed real consumption by two to three times, since the calculation is based on the number of people registered in the apartment.
Earlier, it was reported about large-scale inspections of gas meters and possible financial consequences for violations. In addition, the topic of overpayments for utility services due to inaccurate indicators was raised. It was also noted that Ukrainians face significant costs for paying for gas.