Public Assessment of the Activities of Natural Monopolies in the Novosibirsk Region

The article is devoted to the assessment by the population of the activities of natural monopolies in the Novosibirsk region. Field methods of sociological research and desk methods were chosen as research methods. It has been revealed that the main markets for the presence of natural monopolies in the Novosibirsk region are water supply and sanitation services and services for the transmission of electric and/or thermal energy. An ambiguous assessment of the activities of natural monopolies by the population was also revealed. In particular, the population appreciates the quality of services in the field of electricity and communication services most highly, and in the field of water treatment the lowest. It was also revealed that the vast majority of the population faced various problems when interacting with representatives of subjects of natural monopolies, including demanding an order from controlled commercial structures, charging additional fees, imposing additional services, refusing to install metering devices, and so on. At the same time, as it turned out, the refusal to install/replace metering devices by representatives of natural monopoly entities may be due to objective reasons, such as compliance of equipment characteristics with established standards and expired service life, lack of access to readings, inspection, repair of devices, the need for major repairs of engineering networks, etc. Thus, a special role in the field of electricity, heat, gas, water supply, water treatment and sanitation, as well as communication services is assigned to the regulatory state policy aimed at ensuring comfortable living conditions for the population in combination with ensuring the stable functioning and development of natural monopolies.