Receipts, of course, must be kept, because they are a document confirming the fact of payment for a particular service. In the event of a dispute with the supplier or loss of the transferred funds, it is the receipt that serves as proof that the payment was made, as well as by whom and at what time.
What is a receipt and what should be indicated in it
Receipts for utility bills are issued in accordance with the form approved by law. All types of payments are spelled out in detail, each of which should be highlighted in a separate line — electricity, gas and water supply, heating and other services (cleaning the house territory, entrances, repair work). In addition to the figures reflecting the previous indicators of accounting devices and current ones, as a rule, they also indicate consumer norms established by regional authorities, if any, are valid at the payer's place of residence. Also on the receipt must be indicated the personal code (set of numbers) of the payer for services, using which he can pay from any bank terminal, even without a form at hand. In addition to payment and personal information, the phone numbers of service providers, the management company and other authorities are indicated on the receipt.
Period of storage of payment receipts
Legislation does not establish the storage periods for receipts confirming the payment of utility bills. But on most of them there is a note that it is recommended not to throw them away for 3 years. This is due to the fact that it takes so much time the maximum statute of limitations. That is, companies that provide services and control their payment can only make claims on debt during this period of time.
But in practice, it also happens that claims are satisfied by the court after 3 years. This is allowed if during the trial it was established that the statute of limitations was interrupted for some reason or could be extended, in accordance with applicable law. Lawyers dealing with utilities and paying for services provided by similar companies recommend keeping receipts for at least 5 years. This will allow the consumer to avoid unfair accusations against him and protect his rights.
