Editorials

Op-Ed Contributors

Chinese Press

Columnists

LETTERS

Heating company breaks 'rule'

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-28 08:04

A heating company in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, recently cut off an entire building from its supply list because just one household had not paid its dues. Heating companies and other public service providers should negotiate with defaulters instead of making even those who pay their dues in time suffer, says an article in the China Youth Daily. Excerpts:

Winter sets in earlier in Hohhot than many other cities even in northern China, hence central heating has already started in the city. But residents of No 2 Shuguang Street still have to shiver because the heating company has cut off supply to it. The reason: one of the households has not paid its dues.

During the days of planned economy, people used to live in dormitories provided by their work units. People living in such dormitories always knew each other and could pressure one or more of them to follow rules and not do something that could harm the neighborhood or community.

But things are different today. Let alone, knowing their neighbors well enough to force them to pay their dues in time, some people have difficulty in even naming them.

According to law, a heating company is bound by a contract with individual households, not all the residents of a building. So individual households that have paid their dues should neither shoulder any responsibility for their neighbors nor suffer the consequences of their actions. If a company forces them to do so then it is infringing upon their rights, and the heating company is certainly guilty of such an act.

Heating companies should deal with each household separately. They should also know that some people do not pay in time because they cannot afford to and others do so because they are dissatisfied with the service.

To ensure that one family doesn't suffer because of another's actions, heating companies should set up devices to cut off supply to individual households instead of entire buildings.

(China Daily 10/28/2009 page9)