Lawyers emphasize the necessity of keeping utility payment receipts for at least five years after making payments for electricity, gas, water, and other services. This can be useful in case of disputes with suppliers or when contentious situations regarding payments arise.
This is reported by Finway
What Problems Can Saved Receipts Help Resolve
Experts note that while the statute of limitations in such disputes is usually three years from the moment the conflict arises, suppliers may delay the resolution of the case. Therefore, it is better to keep documents longer to have additional guarantees if the situation requires proof of payments.
“Regulatory acts do not specify specific timeframes for how long utility payment receipts should be kept. However, experienced lawyers recommend keeping them for 5 years,” the message states.
Keeping receipts can help in the following cases:
- If there was an error in the information storage system, and payment data was lost or restored with errors;
- When there are changes in tariffs or other circumstances that caused misunderstandings regarding payments;
- In case of errors by employees of the service-providing companies.
It is also emphasized that electronic receipts obtained during payment through a bank have legal force in court. However, in case of a dispute, it is best to obtain a printed bank statement that must contain the signature and seal of the financial institution.
Recommendations for Gas Consumers
Lawyers advise gas consumers to pay special attention. Ukrainians using both pipeline and cylinder gas are recommended to install a gas detector. Such a device allows for continuous monitoring of air quality in the premises and timely response to dangerous gas concentrations.
According to specialists from the gas supply company “Naftogaz of Ukraine,” the detector detects excess gas levels at early stages and automatically shuts off the gas supply, as well as can activate ventilation or other safety systems to prevent explosions or poisoning. However, such functions are only available in some modern models of devices.