The plaintiff, who moved to Italy with his family in 2022, argued that since he no longer uses gas, he should not have to pay for its supply. However, the court ruled otherwise.
According to the case materials, "Volyngas" calculated the gas supply fee for 2023 based on consumption volumes recorded during the gas year from October 2021 to September 2022. During this period, the family consumed 1,520 cubic meters of gas before moving to Italy. As a result, the monthly supply fee was determined based on 126.6 cubic meters of gas.
Even in cases of zero gas consumption, the fee was calculated using the minimum established volumes. The court noted that according to the terms of the natural gas distribution contract, the obligation to pay for supply remains unless the contract is officially terminated.
The court emphasized that cessation or limitation of consumption does not exempt the consumer from paying for distribution services if the contract is not officially terminated.
The ruling confirmed that individuals must continue to pay for gas supply to their Ukrainian property, even if the property remains unoccupied for an extended period due to relocation. To avoid such charges, consumers must officially terminate their gas supply contract and disconnect from the gas network.
There are two main scenarios where consumers may incur additional charges for gas supply:
If the property owner no longer uses gas but does not officially disconnect from the gas network, they will still be charged for maintaining access to gas supply. To avoid this, they should contact their gas distribution operator and submit a disconnection request.
If the consumer fails to provide regular meter readings, the delivery fee may be calculated based on estimated average consumption volumes. These estimates often exceed actual gas consumption, leading to overpayments.
This case highlights the importance of terminating gas contracts or regularly submitting meter readings to prevent unnecessary expenses.