It's July, it's +30°C outside, the radiators are stone cold — and yet there it is again on your bill: "heating," for two or three thousand rubles. It's not a mistake and it's not a scam. It's a system that's been running in Moscow since Soviet times.
Every summer, Muscovites ask the same question: what are we paying for if the heating was shut off back in May? The answer is an installment plan. The annual cost of heat is split into twelve equal parts so that winter bills don't hit people with a shock.
How the System Works
Russia uses two payment schemes for heating. The first is the "1/7" model: you pay only during the months the radiators are actually running — roughly October through April. The second is the "1/12" model: the annual total is divided into twelve equal payments, and a bill arrives every month, summer included.
Moscow uses the 1/12 scheme. The choice was made by regional authorities, and the logic is straightforward: heating is the single most expensive line on any utility bill. If you only pay in winter, the January–February total jumps two to three times. For households on fixed incomes — retirees, public-sector workers — that's a serious blow. Spreading payments evenly softens the impact.
"People find it easier to plan their lives when expenses are distributed evenly throughout the year," explains Konstantin Krokhin, chairman of the Moscow Union of Housing Organizations.
What Goes Into the Number
Most Moscow apartment buildings have a building-wide heat meter installed. The management company takes the meter readings from the previous five years, divides total consumption by 60 months, and arrives at an average monthly volume. That figure is then divided by the building's total residential area, multiplied by your apartment's square footage, and multiplied by the current tariff.
If the meter was installed recently, data from the available period is used — but no fewer than three months of heating season. If there's no building-wide meter at all, the calculation is based on a per-square-meter consumption standard.
The final number on your bill depends on three things: your apartment's size, the building's heat consumption, and the tariff. A modern building with good insulation pays noticeably less than a Soviet-era panel block with drafty seams.
The Annual Adjustment: Overpaid or Underpaid?
Under the 1/12 scheme, a correction is made once a year. The management company compares how much heat the building actually consumed against how much residents paid over the course of the year. The result goes one of two ways.
- If the winter was colder than projected and the building used more heat, an additional charge arrives. This is the infamous "thirteenth bill" that catches residents off guard in the first quarter of the new year.
- If the winter was mild and the building used less, the difference is subtracted from future payments. The overpayment doesn't vanish — it reduces upcoming charges.
What Changed on March 1, 2025
A government resolution that took effect on March 1, 2025 prohibits new regions from adopting the 1/12 scheme. The state is encouraging payment based on actual consumption, which is considered more transparent and better trusted by consumers.
But for Moscow, nothing changed. The capital locked in its even-payment scheme long before 2025, and the new law doesn't override it. The regulation works in one direction only: switching from 1/12 to 1/7 is allowed; switching back is not.
The situation in Moscow Oblast is different: nine municipalities — Khimki, Mytishchi, Dolgoprudny, Serpukhov, Podolsk, and four others — already pay based on actual consumption. The rest continue paying evenly.
Which Scheme Is Better?
There's no definitive answer — it depends on your priorities.
The 1/12 scheme is more convenient for those who value predictability. The same amount every month, no winter spikes. The downside is the annual adjustment: the final correction can be unpleasant if the winter was harsh.
The 1/7 scheme is more transparent. You pay for what you consumed and can verify the readings against the building-wide meter. The downside is heavier winter bills, plus the need to set money aside during summer for the heating season — something few people actually do.
Experts at the Housing and Urban Environment association argue that seasonal payment motivates residents to monitor their consumption and look for ways to reduce heat loss. With even payments, there's less incentive — the total is spread so thin that the connection between insulating your building and saving money becomes invisible.
What to Do if the Number Looks Wrong
If a heating charge shows up on your summer bill, it's most likely not an error — it's the 1/12 scheme working as designed. But if the amount has jumped sharply for no apparent reason, it's worth checking:
- Whether an annual adjustment for the previous heating season has been applied — this is legal, but the amount must be substantiated.
- Whether the tariff has changed — increases typically take effect on July 1.
- Whether there's a technical error — the management company is required to provide an itemized breakdown of charges upon request.
You can submit a request through the mos.ru portal, directly to your management company, or through a public services center. If the response isn't satisfactory, file a complaint with the Moscow Housing Inspectorate.
