Br200 000 Rent Bill Increase for a Family of Three

The subsidized tariff on water is almost equal to 100% cost recovery.

Minsk utility providers told about new tariffs. It should be reminded that Lukashenka's Decree No. 535 draws new lines in rent bills. Utility providers explain that earlier the maintenance service involved services not related to it, and it was decided to make a separate paragraph for them. Frankly speaking, the tariff remains the same - Br994.9 per square meter of the total area of an apartment. It turns out that we will pay more, kp.by writes.

Since January (the rent bill will be provided in February) we will additionally pay for a cleaning of a communal entrance hallway. The exact tariff is being developed for each home depending on a number of floors, project, etc. All prices are average and, based on the standard apartment of 48 square meters with three people.

The cleaning in 5-9 storey building with no rubbish chute equals to Br15-16 thousand, 9-19 storey building - Br23-24 thousand. In case of the second, so-called fire-fighting access, staircase the tariff increases by 30-40%. The cleaning cost depends on the number of meters of your apartment.

Charge for an elevator is divided into two lines: maintenance service and electricity which was spent for its work. The average maintenance service will cost Br617 per square meter (those living on the first floor will have to pay too - editor's note), and the electricity - Br6.8 thousand per person. However, the exact price for electricity will depend on hour-meter reading. In other words, the less you use the elevator, the less you pay.

For light in the communal entrance hallway inhabitants of Minsk will pay on average Br200 per square meter of living space. One again, the less you use, the less you pay.

By the way, since January 1 subsidized water and plumbing system tariffs have been changed – Br8914.7 for a cubic meter (earlier, it equaled to Br2515.2). It is a 3.5 time increase! By the way, the economically justified rate is Br9000. In other words, if earlier everyone tried to fit in in the norm of 140 litres of water per person a day, now every spent litre of water appears 3.5 times more expensive. And there will be no difference whether you go beyond the limit or not.

The rubbish removal tariff is also raised. Now it is needed to pay Br 53 944 per cubic meter (earlier - Br51 143).

The electricity and gas tariffs have increased by 20% since January 1. It should be reminded that it is related to the government's decision on abolition of VAT benefits in utility services in 2016.

Journalists have calculated the price increase for some services since January 1, as well as the affect a total sum in the rent bill.

All the calculations are presented for the family of 3 people, which lives in the two-room apartment of 48 square meters and fits with norms on electricity (150 kWh a month) and water (140 litres per person a day).

It turns out that new lines in the rent bill and price increase of some services make the rent bill more by Br177-186 thousand. It also depends on fee for cleaning of a communal entrance hallway.