By Nika Khutsieva
MOSCOW, Nov 3 (Reuters) - In the Russian capital Moscow, history teacher Polina Ibragimova was shocked when a utility bill arrived that amounted to more than half her monthly pay.
At first, the 34-year-old mother of two thought her children must have spent too long splashing around in a steaming bath. Then she read the bill line by line and discovered the real culprit: a sharp increase in utility tariffs.
The rise in utility bills comes as Russia grapples with inflation fuelled by
a wartime economy, with a tight labour market and higher military spending adding to price pressures. For households such as Ibragimova's, those strains are increasingly visible in monthly bills and day-to-day expenses.
Utility bills in Russia have risen more than 50% since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022 and more than 13% this year alone, adding to inflation that authorities regard as the economy's biggest problem.
"This was unpleasant. We can really feel it," said Ibragimova, who is now considering taking on an additional student for private lessons to cover the higher costs.
Her utility bill has climbed by about a quarter since the summer to 12,000 roubles ($150) — meaning her salary advance, which is typically around half of her monthly pay, no longer covers the cost.
Russians are accustomed to annual increases in tariffs for heating, water and electricity, which are intended to keep pace with inflation. The federal government provides guidance, while authorities across Russia's regions determine the final increases.
CENTRAL BANK'S INFLATION BATTLE
This year's rise, however, was delayed until October 1, after September's parliamentary elections, helping shield the vote from public anger over higher household costs.
The delay meant regional authorities subsequently approved some of the steepest increases in years to help utility companies catch up with inflation.
The price hikes are not only straining the wallets of ordinary Russians but also raising concerns about the central bank's ability to control inflation and reduce high key interest rates, currently at 14%, which are stifling the economy.
The central bank brought the inflation rate down last year at the cost of slowing down economic growth, but this year Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries have led to a new wave of price growth, this time driven by rising petrol costs.
Following a decision to keep rates unchanged on October 23, Governor Elvira Nabiullina warned that the hike would push up household inflation expectations, already at a two-year high and a key indicator in rate decisions.
"Targeting 4% inflation becomes an even more challenging task with such tariff inputs, requiring a more stringent monetary stance," said economist Dmitry Polevoy, in reference to the central bank's long-term inflation target.
Although Russian utility costs remain lower than in much of Europe because of abundant cheap natural gas used for heating and power generation, average wages are also far lower despite recent double-digit pay growth.
The hikes compound food inflation, prompting people like Ibragimova to stretch household budgets in increasingly creative ways.
"I feel like a Soviet-era housewife," she said, describing how she now cuts a chicken into more portions than before to make meals go further.
'PEOPLE WITH NO RESTRAINT AND NO CONSCIENCE'
The tariff increases have also drawn criticism from politicians usually supportive of the Kremlin.
Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Communist Party, which still holds the second-largest faction in parliament after the ruling United Russia party, complained to President Vladimir Putin about the hike during a meeting after the election.
Zyuganov said his own utility bill for a Soviet-era apartment in Moscow exceeded 30,000 roubles, more than the average Russian pension.
Parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said some regional increases were excessive and called on prosecutors and the anti-monopoly watchdog to intervene and control "people who have no restraint and no conscience."
The hikes have dealt another blow to small businesses, already affected by tax increases as the government seeks ways to cover the growing budget deficit driven by increased military spending.
"The utility fee hikes are particularly painful for businesses that have recently opened, as they are accompanied by other increases," said Anastasia Zapoteeva, manager of a bar in Moscow.
($1 = 80.6705 roubles)
(Writing by Gleb BryanskiEditing by Ros Russell)
