Since 2011, all household natural gas consumers within the licensed activity of the PrJSC “Ternopilgaz” are provided with gas meters. 

The household consumer, who under the terms of the natural gas distribution agreement pays for the gas meter, is obliged to take the actual gas meter readings on a monthly basis as of the 1st day of the month and provide them to the PrJSC “Ternopilgaz” during five days (up to and including the 5th day) in the manner specified in the natural gas distribution agreement. 

A household consumer is a consumer who is an individual and who uses natural gas for his own needs, including for cooking, water heating and heating of his living quarters, which does not include professional and commercial activities. 

In case the gas distribution company does not receive the gas meter indicators by the 6th day of the month following the settlement month and provided that gas meter is not equipped with remote data transmission, the actual volume of natural gas distribution and consumption at the consumer’s facility for the settlement period is determined by the GDN operator at the level of the planned monthly volume of consumption for the relevant period, calculated based on the consumption group of the household consumer, taking into account the requirements of the GDS Code.

If, following the results of the next month, the consumer provides the indicator of the gas meter in time, the formation of the volume of distribution and consumption of natural gas for the period of the specified month will be carried out taking into account the provided indicators.

The group of consumption for each household consumer, which is calculated by the gas meter, is determined by the PrJSC “Ternopilgaz” in accordance with the GDS Code. The number of the consumption group is indicated by the GDN Operator in the personalized data of the application-joining to the terms of the natural gas distribution agreement and in the accounts of the PrJSC “Ternopilgaz” on payment for natural gas distribution services. The consumption group reflects the annual profile of natural gas consumption in terms of calendar months by the average household consumer in the relevant group by the composition of gas appliances, category of house (individual, apartment) and in some cases taking into account the heating area and centralized hot water supply.

According to the GDS Code, 17 consumption groups are defined (Supplement 1 of the GDS Code), for Ternopil Region the most common groups are nr. 6 and nr. 7 – for the apartment buildings, and nr. 8, nr. 9, nr. 14, nr. 15, nr. 16 and nr. 17 – for individual (private) houses, depending on the nature of gas-consuming equipment, the number of registered and heating area. When changing the criteria (in particular, change of appliances or area), according to which the household consumer was assigned to a certain group of consumption, the consumer is assigned a different group of consumption. 

Based on the group of household consumer consumption and its annual natural gas consumption for the last 12 calendar months, the planned monthly volumes of natural gas consumption are determined for the household consumer object, based on the monthly share of the planned annual natural gas consumption determined in Supplement 1 of the GDS Code.

If the period of actual gas consumption is less than 12 months for the consumer object (and for new consumer objects (customers)), the planned monthly volumes of natural gas consumption are determined based on the data of the annual volume of natural gas consumption determined on 1 person or 1 sq.m. for the corresponding consumption group.

The PrJSC “Ternopilgaz” has the right to carry out control measurements of natural gas meters of the consumer and is obliged at least once every six months to carry out control measurements of gas meters (taking into account the deadline for control inspection of the metering unit) and to form the volume of distribution and consumption natural gas on the consumer’s object for the settlement month in which the control removal of indicators of the gas meter was carried out, taking into account its actual indicators. 

If the consumer who uses natural gas in combination (for heating, cooking and / or water heating), on the date of control removal of measuring instruments, the gas meter will be less than provided by the consumer for the previous month during the heating period, these control indicators are considered actual indicators of the natural gas meter as of the 01st day of the month in which such control removal of indicators of measuring equipment is carried out. 

To confirm the indicators of the meter, their fixation can be carried out, including by photo and video. Such actions are provided for in Chapter 9 of Section X of the GDS Code and are taken to avoid incorrect calculations for the provided natural gas distribution services. This procedure is important both for the PrJSC “Ternopilgaz” and for the consumer, as the actual indicator of the natural gas meter ensures the reliability of accounting. 

Calculation of the planned monthly consumption volumes for the next calendar year is determined by the gas distribution company taking into account the results of the current calendar year.