The same thing happens every autumn: it's already cold outside, you're sitting at home in a jumper, and the radiators are still ice-cold. It seems as if the utility companies are just stalling. In fact, the heating season has a clear weather rule, and it depends not on the calendar but on the thermometer.
In autumn 2026, the heating was switched on in Russian cities on very different dates. In Yakutia it came on as early as September 1, in Krasnoyarsk on the 18th, in Novosibirsk on September 23, and in Moscow not until October 1. And in Moscow itself, in previous years the season has started as early as September 18 and as late as October 7. We look at why, at what temperature the radiators come on, and who presses the "button".
The Main Rule: Five Days Below 8°C
The timing of the heating season is set by a federal document: the Rules for the Provision of Utility Services, approved by Government Resolution No. 354.
Under these rules, the heating must start no later than the day after five consecutive days on which the average daily air temperature stays below 8°C.
The same principle works in spring, only in reverse: the heating is switched off when the average daily temperature stays above 8°C for five days in a row. The 8°C threshold was chosen as a compromise between saving energy and keeping flats comfortable.
What the Average Daily Temperature Is
This isn't the number you see on the thermometer outside your window during the day. The average daily temperature is the average over all 24 hours, including the night. Weather stations measure it throughout the day, and a cold night can pull the figure down considerably.
That's why you can have 12°C in the sun during the day and still cold radiators. Meanwhile, at night the air cools to freezing, and the daily average comes out at around 6°C, but there haven't yet been five such days in a row. Conversely, a single cold day doesn't start the season.
"One cold day doesn't guarantee that the radiators will be hot across the whole city the next morning," explains Yulia Fedorova, chief executive of the Terra property management company.
Hasn't the Rule Been Changed to Three Days?
In autumn 2026, a story was widely shared on social media claiming that the "five-day rule" had been replaced with three days. That's not true. A letter from the Ministry of Construction dated August 25, 2026, states clearly that the five-day period and the 8°C threshold remain in place, and that the ministry considered proposals to change the rules inexpedient.
Lawyer Sergei Petrov confirms that the supposed new federal resolution with different deadlines "does not exist".
"What matters is the average daily temperature and the length of the set period," he says.
Who Makes the Decision
The five-day rule is a deadline. The exact start date of the season is set by the local authorities: the mayor's office or the municipal administration. The Ministry of Construction clarifies that local authorities have the right to switch on the heating earlier, without waiting for five cold days, and to switch it off later in spring.
Before that, buildings have to be prepared. A certificate of readiness for winter is issued by a commission that includes representatives of the housing inspectorate, the heat supply company and the local administration.
Buildings with their own boiler house or an individual heating substation are a special case. Here, the owners can decide for themselves at a general meeting when to switch on the heating.
Why the Radiators Don't All Warm Up on the Same Day
Even after the order has been signed, the heat doesn't arrive straight away. It's supplied first to nurseries, schools and hospitals, then to residential buildings, and only after that to offices and industrial buildings.
In Moscow, for example, switching the whole system over to winter mode takes several days.
In the first few days there may also be technical glitches: air in the system, or uneven heating of the risers. If a radiator is hot at the bottom and cold at the top, air has probably built up in it: you can bleed it through the radiator valve or call the property management company's plumber.
What About Closer to Home?
In Siberia and the Urals, the cold comes earlier, so the heating is switched on earlier than in European Russia. The dates in 2026:
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Yakutia — from September 1, with residential buildings from September 5;
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Yekaterinburg — from September 15;
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Krasnoyarsk — from September 18, with full connection by September 25;
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Novosibirsk — from September 23.
In the Irkutsk Region, as elsewhere, each municipality makes its own decision. It's worth checking the exact date for your town on the city administration's website, where the orders on the start of the season are published.
What Temperature It Should Be at Home
Once the heating is on, your flat must be kept warm in line with the standards:
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a living room — at least 18°C;
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a corner room — at least 20°C;
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in regions with very cold winters, where the coldest five-day period drops to −31°C or below — at least 20°C in an ordinary room and 22°C in a corner room.
At night, from midnight to 5am, the temperature may drop briefly, but by no more than 3°C.
What to Do While the Radiators Are Cold
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Watch the forecast, not the calendar. If forecasters predict several days in a row with an average daily temperature below 8°C, the heating will probably come on within the week.
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Insulate your windows in advance. Check the seals and the gaps in the frames: that way your flat will hold on to heat for longer both between seasons and in winter.
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Air rooms briefly. In a cold flat, it's better to throw the windows wide open for 5–10 minutes than to leave them open for a long time.
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If the heating has been switched on but it's still cold at home, contact your property management company or the emergency service. Ask them to draw up a temperature measurement report: it will come in handy if you need to get your bill recalculated.
