How long do you need to keep receipts for utility bills?

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We decided to figure out in detail how much to keep receipts for utility bills and what to do with them after the required storage period is over.

What receipts are we talking about?

A receipt is a document drawn up in accordance with established norms and confirming the fact of payment for services. The form of the payment document is described in the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation No. 924.

In the receipt, everything is described in detail: there is a separate line for each resource, the consumption rates of each utility service are given. Thanks to this, you can check if the payment amount has been correctly calculated and control your expenses.

Despite the fact that the norms described in the Order are only approximate, in most cases the receipts look the same. This makes working with this type of document easier.

So, you paid for your utilities and received a receipt. What to do next? We need to keep it.

How long to keep receipts after payment?

There is not a single law or regulation that would clearly spell out the mandatory storage period for utility bills. But a hint can be found in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. It includes the concept of "limitation of actions" - this is the period during which you can take legal action to protect the violated right. It is equal to three years. This means that receipts must be kept for at least three years.

Be sure to remember: you need to keep receipts drawn up in accordance with all the rules.

If you paid for the service and noticed that the receipt does not look the same as usual, ask to reissue it.

If you pay for services by card or via Internet banking, make sure that checks are attached to all other receipts.

Why know the storage time of documents?

You need to know about the deadlines and keep receipts for utility bills in order to always be able to protect your rights. For example, if you have to sue a utility provider, receipts are essential.

Let's say you've kept receipts for three years. What to do with them next?

Knowledgeable lawyers advise keeping receipts after payment as long as possible. They say that even though there is no such law, these documents may be useful to you even after three years. Litigation between utility providers and consumers is not uncommon. The longer you keep receipts, the more arguments in your favor you will be able to attach to the case.

In addition, if we determine retention periods based on the statute of limitations, then there is one more thing we need to know. If the limitation period expires, you can still claim the protection of violated rights. Therefore, saved receipts can not only come in handy, but also become a trump card up your sleeve.

Output

1. Make sure that the receipts are issued in accordance with all the rules.
2. Store utility bills for at least three years.
3. If possible, keep such documents for as long as possible.