Arkhangelsk Water Utility Goes Digital

Digitalization as a Tool for Efficiency and Sustainability

The transition to electronic billing marks a significant step forward in customer service for Arkhangelsk residents. Subscribers now receive invoices via email or through their personal account in the mobile app, ensuring secure access to all payment information at any time and from any device. Payments can be completed in just a few clicks, eliminating the need to visit bank branches or post offices.

Electronic billing also enhances transparency: users can submit meter readings, track their payment history, and avoid missed payments or late fees. For those temporarily living outside the city but still responsible for utility payments on local properties, the digital system provides a convenient, remote solution. For the utility company and the region, the shift means reduced printing and delivery costs and a positive environmental impact from decreased paper consumption.

Beyond Billing: A Smarter Utility Future

Introducing mobile apps and online portals is only the beginning of Russia’s digital transformation in the utilities sector. The industry is on the verge of more advanced innovations driven by smart metering and automation technologies.

Over the next few years, the widespread rollout of smart meters will automate the collection of consumption data, removing the need for manual readings and reducing human error. Automated data gathering will enable predictive analytics, allowing utilities to forecast demand, optimize network performance, and prevent emergencies.

“Unfortunately, paper bills don’t always reach their recipients. In today’s busy world, a person might simply forget to pay a bill they never saw, leading to mounting debt, reminders, and even service restrictions or court proceedings. Electronic billing solves this issue — you receive a notification instantly and can pay your balance right away.”

Anastasia Remizova

Commercial Director of RVC-Arkhangelsk

Digital platforms could also monitor payment behavior, issuing reminders to prevent overdue balances. Given current trends, paper bills are expected to become a rarity by 2027–2030.

Part of a Nationwide Digital Shift

The Arkhangelsk initiative is part of a larger federal trend toward utility digitalization. Similar projects have already shown strong results across Russia.

In the Moscow region, a pilot project launched in 2022 has now transitioned more than 1.8 million residents to digital billing — including over 500,000 in 2024 alone. In Irkutsk, the regional capital repair fund introduced an ‘Electronic Bill’ service within the ‘Housing and Utilities. Region’ platform.

Through this system, homeowners can view and pay their bills directly within Sberbank’s mobile app, creating a single digital interface for all interactions. These examples demonstrate that digital utility services are not isolated experiments but part of a national strategy to improve quality of life and streamline operations.

From Local Experiment to National Standard

What began as local pilot programs is rapidly evolving into national policy. The Ministry of Construction is preparing amendments to Russia’s Housing Code that will require electronic billing information to be published on two major platforms — the State Housing and Utilities Information System (GIS HCS) and Gosuslugi, the federal public services portal. Arkhangelsk’s RVC project reflects this transition perfectly: it shows how technology is simplifying everyday life, cutting red tape, and promoting environmental responsibility.

As seen in other regions, the digital bill is becoming a symbol of a new, smarter, and more transparent utilities infrastructure in Russia.