The national public association “Consumer Protection” received a number of complaints from people about the inappropriate temperature in apartments in winter. The materials were sent to the Court of Auditors, the presidential administration, the Government and Parliament. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița remitted the association’s claim to the Agency for Consumer Protection, but nothing changed. The information was made public by the association’s head Petru Guțul in a news conference at IPN.
A woman from Chisinau, Svetlana, said that she pays her bill on time, but the radiators are rather cold than warm. She made several approaches to the housing sector managing enterprise, but the situation didn’t change. There are four more families in their block in the same situation. She replaced the radiators, pipes and the windows for thermopane ones, but the thermometer in her apartment does not rise above 13-16 degrees Celsius. The heat does not reach the fourth and fifth floors. The dwellers from the lower floors do not allow employees of the housing sector managing enterprise to enter their apartments to check the pipes going there. Owing to the low temperatures, there is mold and dampness in the apartment. She was hospitalized twice due to problems caused by the cold and humidity. She asked the supplier Termoelectrica to disconnect her apartment from the heating system so as to find an alternative heating solution. She is a pensioner, but is a Master of Sport who defended Moldova’s colors in the past.
Another inhabitant of the municipality Emilia built an annex to the apartment so as to improve the living conditions. In 2017, the annex was disconnected from the heating system. The temperature in the rest of the apartment is 13-14 degrees Celsius. Both the housing sector managing enterprise and Termoelectrica shift responsibility onto each other and do not solve the problem. She has a disability degree and seniority of 44 years. “I see no justice being done in this country,” said the woman.
“Consumer Protection” head Petru Guțul said the law on the protection of the rights of consumers should be respected by all the state institutions, but these do not do it. In accordance with this law, Termoelectrica should not sign contracts with the housing sector managing enterprises or associations of dwellers, but should sign individual contracts with apartment owners and should set up heat meters at its own expense. During 18 years, the public association “Consumer Protection” has insisted on the observance of this provision, but all in vain.
