New Utility Tariffs: Algorithms to Calculate a Fair Price
Russia is bringing artificial intelligence into the fine-tuning of tariff regulation. Algorithms are set to play a significant role in determining the cost of electricity, communications services, waste disposal and other essential utilities that shape everyday life.
A System Undergoing a Reset
Tariff regulation in Russia falls under the authority of the Federal Antimonopoly Service. In partnership with a domestic vendor specializing in tariff regulation solutions, the agency has spent the past two years moving the system onto digital rails. Completing the reform will require at least the same amount of time again.
The state information system FGIS Tariff had existed for more than 20 years and had long ceased to meet modern requirements. Faced with growing data volumes, increasingly complex infrastructure links and rising public expectations, it could no longer deliver transparency or efficiency. Its comprehensive overhaul began in 2024.
The updated FGIS Tariff has now been deployed on the unified government digital platform GosTech. Modules covering communications, energy and housing and utilities have already been implemented. Pilot testing has been conducted in 15 regions across the country.
In December 2025, the Federal Antimonopoly Service said it would complete the formation of a federal register of regulated organizations, infrastructure assets and investment programs. Starting this year, the system is being rolled out nationwide.
A Data Avalanche
Why does this matter? Every month, residents across Russia receive bills for water and electricity, gas and heat, waste removal and other utility services. The country has around 12,000 resource-supplying organizations. Each operates across several lines of activity subject to state regulation. All of them submit large volumes of data to authorized bodies to justify the cost of their services when tariff decisions are made.
Manual processing of this information took enormous amounts of time and did not guarantee an objective assessment of the economic validity of applications. Algorithms handle this task far more efficiently. Digital tools make it possible to automate the submission of tariff requests and to ensure that tariff-setting across all utility sectors becomes transparent and easy to understand.
Social Value
For the state, the system is a tool to strengthen governance in strategically important sectors. Digitalization helps reduce corruption risks, improve load forecasting and monitor infrastructure conditions, from pipeline wear to peak demand in power grids.
For citizens, the digital transformation of an entire segment of public administration that covers life-supporting industries,
from water supply and energy to rail transport, means transparency and fairness. Where tariff justification once functioned as a “black box,” every calculation parameter will now be based on certified standards and precise data.
The Technology Backbone
The project is being implemented by Platforma LLC, a Russian IT developer. The company is building the system on a microservices architecture using cloud solutions, API integrations and artificial intelligence modules.
AI serves a practical purpose here. Algorithms analyze large volumes of historical data, with more than one million records already uploaded, identify anomalies, model scenarios and propose optimal solutions. Over time, human involvement will focus on oversight and fine-tuning of the neural network.
The significance of the reform extends beyond national borders. Russia’s experience in building a ready-to-use, localized tariff regulation system could become an exportable solution for CIS countries, Africa and Latin America, where regulatory institutions are still taking shape.
Tariff regulation, once seen as bureaucratic routine, is turning into a growth point for the digital economy.
