Moscow`s heating season, which commenced on September 24, has been marked by widespread complaints regarding numerous disruptions in the heat supply system. Many residents have reported inconsistent heating, with some homes receiving no heat at all, while others experienced brief periods of warmth followed by cold radiators.
The official start of the heating season in the capital on September 24 encountered significant issues. Many Moscow residents found themselves either without heat entirely or with a brief supply that was quickly cut off again.
Valeria Mozganova, host of the «Real Estate» program on Business FM, shared her experience, noting that heating in her building is not expected until the latter half of October:
Valeria Mozganova Business FM commentator, Head of Expert Council for «Digest of Russian and Foreign Real Estate» magazine«In my building on Ryazansky Prospekt, the heating hasn`t even been turned on. The apartments are terribly cold, and there`s a huge wave of indignation in our building`s chat. We`ve been unsuccessfully sending complaints to various Moscow departments and our management company. We received an official response from the management company stating that MOEK is currently carrying out commissioning work on the central heating system, which will take several days, including equipment checks and air bleeding, and that heating requests are not being accepted during this period. One neighbor was told by the heating hotline that work on the central heating lines would continue until October 24. My acquaintances confirm that our district is generally one of the last to be connected to heating each year. For example, my friend who lives in Oktyabrskoye Pole had her heating turned on several days ago.»
Similar issues were reported by another colleague living in the Fili Park district. Although heating in her apartment building was switched on over the weekend, by Monday morning, the radiators had cooled down again. The building supervisor stated that equipment adjustments were still ongoing. Residents who called the emergency service were informed that while all radiators had been purged, insufficient pressure meant some remained cold.
Konstantin Krokhin, chairman of the Moscow Housing Union and a lawyer, provided commentary on the current heating situation in the capital:
Konstantin Krokhin Chairman of the Moscow Housing Union, Lawyer«The technical preparation for the heating season often devolves into a mere formality. Starting from spring, authorities demand swift reports on readiness for winter. Homes located at the beginning of a pipeline often suffer the most; for instance, planned work in May or June only begins when the weather improves. Building acceptance and documentation, including pressure testing, are frequently superficial or entirely omitted. This year, for example, MOEK refused to carry out pressure testing on ownerless networks, of which there are about 52,000 in Moscow. Only the intervention of supervisory bodies compelled MOEK to act. This rushed `paper` acceptance leads to a facade of readiness, and when heating is actually turned on, buildings that were `on paper` ready by September 1 often experience real breakdowns and outages, requiring disconnection until late October for repairs.»
Representatives from MOEK informed Business FM that the building at Ryazansky Prospekt, 70 building 3, has been receiving heat since last week:
MOEK Representative«The heating point supplying this building was among the first to be switched to winter operation mode because it also supplies heat to kindergarten No. 1363 (Ryazansky Prospekt, 70 building 5). Furthermore, according to the connection scheme, residential building 70 building 3 is situated before kindergarten 70 building 5. If there were any issues with MOEK`s equipment, the kindergarten would also be without heating. Our local branch has just contacted the kindergarten principal, who confirmed no problems: heating has been working since last week. Therefore, the management company for building 70 building 3 is responsible for adjusting the internal heating system and bleeding air from the risers.»
MOEK also confirmed that heating is being supplied to all buildings connected to its heating points.
Typically, heating in Moscow is activated when the average daily air temperature remains below 8 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days. However, exceptions can occur, such as a sudden cold snap or a direct order from authorities. This time, several days before September 24, the temperature dropped below the normative threshold, leading Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin to announce the commencement of the city`s heating season.
