Utility Setup Costs

[ubonrthai]

Any idea how much it costs to hook up water and electricity for the first time in a new home? I'm in the middle of Ubon. What do cities typically charge? I think I remember paying 2,000b total for both a few years ago and now someone is telling me it's like 12,000b.

Edited August 26, 2013 by ubonrthai

[sezzo]

We had to do it all last Oct when we moved into the newly built house near the ring road. Just asked the wife and we paid 2000 baht deposit to start the elec and after a few weeks we got notification to come back and get the deposit back. With the water we paid some sort of transfer of about 100 baht to be taken from the Moo Bahn owner/developer name to our name. Electricity was done at the office near Chinatown and the water was done at the water authority office on Sappasiht road.

[ubonrthai]

Thanks!

[kamalabob2]

No "one size fits all" in regards to water service or electrical service anywhere in the World. If you go in person to the "Water Department" they can show you options. You need not have a 1/2 inch (15mm) pipe be your main water supply. The size of the meter is indicated on every water meter. You can pay a nominal sum extra to the "Government Water Supply" or "Village Water Supply", even buy your own water meter in several different sizes (along with proper water supply lines) if you wish a more robust water supply to your holding tanks. Any decent builders merchant can show you various size water meters you can legally purchase and have connected by the municipal water supply.

Electric service options and real prices are posted on the wall of every PROVINCIAL ELECTRICITY AUTHORITY office I have ever visited. The devil is in the details, in terms of what possible electrical service is running "past" your home, new or existing home. Front or BACK SIDE of your home. Just because your next door neighbor has electrical power coming from a PEA pole in FRONT of their house, does not necessarily mean you can't obtain electrical service from behind your home. Underground with proper size NYY cable in proper approved conduit, is often possible, just takes that one time extra cost, rather than overhead electrical service to your home. The photo attached is a nationwide price where the PEA is the electrical utility. You CAN have a private licensed electrical contractor provide your 3 phase transformer, and/or underground electrical service NYY cables and/or proper size approved utility poles, but you will need to pay the deposit, and certain fees to the PEA regardless of using the PEA for 100% of your electrical service or only a small part of your electrical connection service. The sign is in Thai, but easy to get translated.

Remember to save the physical paper with the REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT indicated. You CAN have the electrical service in a Farang name only if you wish. I have both the water and the electrical in my name only. That was NOT difficult, since I already had a yellow house book from a different residential location in the same province, but NOT the same city the house was located where I wanted the electrical and water service in my name. I had a "permit to build" in my name, so there was no "confusion" at either utility office. For many people putting utilities in the name of a Thai spouse is "easier", but rest assured it is as simple as having a savings account or pick up truck in YOUR name only.

For new house construction, both the water department and the PEA have a "temporary meter" program, which you will want to graduate from as soon as possible to "permanent meter" service to save significant money, especially on the PEA per kw rate. Every PEA office I have walked into had some staff who read, write, understand and speak English and are happy to give Farang decent customer service. They read the Phelps Dodge thick "manual" to determine many aspects of electrical service. Phelps Dodge has some operations in Thailand so it is not so "3rd world" when it CAN pertain to electrical connections. It just looks 3rd World that way up on many utility poles. Google searches in Buriram show some good info on water meter options and PEA meter size prices.

http://buriram-house-builder.blogspot.com/2013/08/buriram-water-meter-buriram-architects.html

[kamalabob2]

For the O.P. Both prices are correct, in a sense. The 2000 baht is for a smaller size meter, certainly appropriate for many sensible electrical users, with the DEPOSIT refund taken into account. The other 12,000 baht price quoted was the total initial price for a larger meter which might be suitable for a slightly larger house or someone who has more than two a/c units. I think the actual price list I posted above will shed some light on the prices you were quoted.

[MYKTHEMIN]

5 years ago my electric meter was 700 baht for a 45/15 one and my water meter was 350 baht and I installed and connected it myself.

[kamalabob2]

That size electric meter is now 750 baht. A 15mm water meter might still be 350 baht. It's good to see steep inflation has not hit everything in Thailand.

[kamalabob2]

Five years later the same size electric meter is 750 baht. A small 15 mm 1/2 inch water meter is still near that price. Some costs, especially when oriented towards average Thai households, still seem to be modest in Thailand. Cooking gas is due to go up but a small amount next month, not really a stunning rise. If you have previous water or electric service in your name, in the same "office", they can apply your existing deposit to a new meter service location.

[SantiSuk]

Longer term residents here probably don't realise how cheap water and power are now compared to say the UK. Electricity here seems to be about half the cost. Water about one tenth and of course the sewerage just goes into the ground. A 320 baht cooking gas refill seems to last 6 months. Happy days.