"Azərışıq" hides from citizens and Turan agency the reason for installing electricity meters in elevators

Baku/30.06.22/Turan: Mehran Amirli, a resident of the Quarter N 28  in the Khirdalan settlement, who lives in the old nine-story building N1, sent a letter to Turan asking him to sort out the legality of installing a “smart” electric meter in their house, giving the right to residents to use the elevator. The building is owned and operated by the state (ZHEK), Azərışıq OJSC installed meters for each elevator. Either because the housing office does not load payment into it, or for another reason, but residents collect 10 manats a month to supply electricity to the elevator engine.

According to the regulations, for the use of electricity in public places (electric lighting inside and outside blocks of buildings, in courtyards, an elevator), the housing office, a local executive authority, pays for this, receiving budgetary funds for this. It turns out, writes M. Amirli, that the housing office, or the executive branch, uses state money for other purposes, forcing residents to pay.

Moreover, Amirli added, immediately after loading 10 manats, half of this amount automatically goes to cover the debt of the subscriber of this elevator, that is, the housing office. But no one knows what the amount of this debt is, and when it will be covered.

A "smart" meter is far from smart features. If at the moment of using the elevator the 10 manats loaded into it run out, the elevator will stop with the passenger inside. Doors without power will not open. Until the residents load the new amount, the one stuck in the elevator will not be released.

M. Amirli recalls the paragraph of the rule for the use of electricity, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, according to which the deprivation of the subscriber of power is possible only after activating this action.

He interviewed the neighbors, it turned out that only their building had special control over the elevators. Residents of other houses heard that the same innovation would be applied to them. M. Amirli asks to deal with the unique situation in Khirdalan.

Turan called to the ZhEK employee servicing, and found out that indeed, in February, the meters were installed by the "Azərışıq" company because each block in this building owes the OJSC the amount of 941 manats. The house has eight blocks. When the amount is loaded, half of it goes to cover this debt.

An employee named Tofig does not know how this debt was formed, why these meters are not installed in the elevators of other buildings, and how residents can control the payment of funds if the meters do not report this.

Tofig added that the issue of disseminating the experience of installing meters in elevators of other buildings is being considered. But it may be that this practice will be discontinued if the experience proves ineffective.

For five days, Turan negotiated with the press service of "Azərışıq", whose employees received a citizen's letter from us, promised to study it and send a detailed explanation of the situation in the house N1, 28 quarter of the  settelemnt of Khirdalan. But, apart from a verbal assurance about the legality of "Azərışıq's" actions and the undoubted need to pay for everything, we could not learn anything from the OJSC.

Turning to the history of the issue, we learned that for the first time smart meters for elevators were installed in Ganja in 2016. They charged residents of high-rise buildings with payment for the power supply of elevators. As Azərışıq OJSC stated at that time, the installation of meters is important for eliminating electricity losses and accurately accounting for the use of electricity. And the definition of a paying subscriber should be decided, "Azərışıq" says,  on the basis of an agreement between "the relevant structures and users."

Residents of the house in Khirdalan were not involved in the discussion of the definition of the user. The report also says that in addition to the monthly 10 manats for the power supply of the elevator, the residents of this block also pay for the maintenance of the elevator economy.

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The corporate website of "Azərışıq" OJSC does not say anything about installing a meter in elevators. But there is a mention of such a property of "smart meters" as the ability of subscribers to control the consumption of funds loaded into the device themselves. In Khirdalan, residents do not know about the amount of debt, its origin, legality and spending, this information is hidden from them, since it is not displayed on the screens of meters.

The press service of "Azərışıq" OJSC does not want to provide the information requested by Turan and the resident M. Amirli. This circumstance gives grounds to dwell on the version of the author of the letter, thatr  ZhEK, or executive power, uses state money for other purposes, forcing tenants to pay.