OREANDA-NEWS. March 23, 2011. The Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Ulyanovsk region (Ulyanovsk OFAS Russia) fined “Gorodskoi Teploservice” Ulyanovsk Municipal Unitary Enterprise 12.8 million Rubles, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

On 25th June 2010, Ulyanovsk OFAS Russia considered complaints of “Venets”, “Luch”, “Pulsar”, “Vektor” and “Severnoe” Homeowners Associations and found that “Gorodskoi Teploservice” Ulyanovsk Municipal Unitary Enterprise violated Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”.

The Unitary Enterprise was charging Homeowners Associations for heat losses in the systems of hot water supply pipelines.

Such actions of “Gorodskoi Teploservice” Ulyanovsk Municipal Unitary Enterprise were exercised in an especially socially important field of hot water supply to the residents, where pricing is fully regulated by the state authorities and local self-government bodies. According to copies of invoices examined by OFAS, in February 2010 heat energy costs for heating bathrooms and losses in stand pipes were billed separately, in other periods those losses were included in the heating costs.

The Commission of Ulyanovsk FAS Russia issued a determination to “Gorodskoi Teploservice” Ulyanovsk Municipal Unitary Enterprise to stop charging “Solidarnost”, “Luch”, “Pulsar”, “Vektor” and “Severnoe” Homeowners Associations for the system heat lesses. OFAS also imposed a fine at 1.1% of the violators’ income on the market of heat energy supplies.

Arbitration Court of the Ulyanovsk region and the 11th Arbitration Appeal Court, Samara, pronounced legitimacy and reasonableness of the decision and determination issued by Ulyanovsk FAS Russia.

““Gorodskoi Teploservice” Ulyanovsk Municipal Unitary Enterprise exceeded the limits of its civil rights obligating its subscribers, among which the Enterprise has dominant position, to pay an additional heating fee”, explained the Head of the Markets Department of Ulyanovsk FAS Russia, Ms. Marina Stepanova.