Crazy, in italy with the communal water heating you have a "boiler" box and inside there's valves a meter and a plate heat exchanger so your heated water doesn't mix with the cities loop but you can turn it off and on by closing the valves/turning the pump offA mate who moved to russia told me the heating is on by default and is included in the rent. He said you can't turn it down and his flat is often like a sauna.
A few years back he said it was -35c, or something equally ridiculous, outside but it was baking hot in his flat, so he opened a window!