The price has increased, but consumption remained the same
“Why is the gas price for December so high? The temperature was higher than in November, and the heating intensity did not change. In November, I paid 8,000,” shared one social media user, expressing his confusion.It turned out he was not alone. Many were puzzled, as December was warm, and bills had always remained approximately the same, even considering tariff changes.
“They charged us almost 900 cubic meters for 20,000 soms, although we actually used 96 cubic meters. I called 'Gazprom', and they recommended I take a photo of the meter and contact them for recalculation,” reported another subscriber.
Users actively exchanged photos of their bills and sought solutions to the problem.
“Gazprom Kyrgyzstan” issued an official statement confirming the information reported by users. The company noted that in October and November 2025, some gas meters with telemetry did not transmit data correctly. As a result, charges were based on the available information, leading to inaccurate amounts on the bills.
“At the end of December, all meters were connected, and we were able to obtain data for the period of failures. Therefore, in the December bills for some subscribers, the amount turned out to be higher because it included actual consumption for almost two months,” the company explained.
What are telemetry meters?
The situation is related to the new meters that have telemetry — the so-called smart meters. Bishkek residents began to doubt their reliability, despite the high hopes placed on them.“Since the beginning of 2022, the branch of 'Bishkekgaz' has been implementing a large project to install gas meters with thermal correction and telemetry. To date, more than 97,000 such meters have been installed. Previously, there were no failures, and each device passed inspection at the Center for Standardization and Metrology,” representatives of Kaktus.media were told by 'Gazprom Kyrgyzstan'.
The meters were functioning normally; the problem was only with the data transmission system to the servers.“The failure was resolved, and on the night of December 31 to January 1, all smart meters were connected. Now the gas bills will be accurate, as we have taken all necessary measures,” the company assured.
But what makes these new meters so attractive? 'Gazprom Kyrgyzstan' emphasizes that they are distinguished by high accuracy, reliability, and durability, with a lifespan exceeding ten years. The first six years they operate on batteries, after which replacement is required.
The new meters are equipped with telemetry and thermal correction systems. Telemetry allows for remote transmission of readings, while thermal correction accounts for changes in gas pressure depending on temperature.
This means that in winter, when gas contracts, the meter may show less than the actual consumption. Old meters did not have thermal correction functionality, which led to gas losses in cold weather.
The temperature to which the gas volume is adjusted is defined by state standards — GOST 29339-63. 'Gazprom Kyrgyzstan' conducts mutual settlements with suppliers based on gas volumes adjusted to standard conditions, which now also applies to municipal and household consumers.
What to do next?
Now that the issue with the charges has been clarified, the question of high bills remains, which many did not expect. What to do in this situation? Payment will be necessary.“The company understands that the problems that arose may have caused inconvenience to subscribers, and therefore announces a temporary promotion to waive penalties. Subscribers who experienced data transmission failures in October and November 2025 will not have to pay penalties for late payment. This decision was made due to technical issues that affected accurate billing,” reported 'Gazprom Kyrgyzstan'.
It is important to note that penalties will be suspended only for debts incurred before the end of December 2025. If the debt is not settled from January to March, then from April 1, 2026, penalty charges will resume.
