My condo developer has informed me that at handover I will need to pay to have the electrical meter transferred from the developer to my name. Thereafter, I will be billed monthly by PEA. The cost I have been told is 20,000 Baht, which seems quite expensive to me. Is this really the cost to transfer the electrical meter to my name? Does it include a refundable deposit, and if so, in what amount? Thanks in advance for any help with this question.

Our electricity meter on a new property ......... 4,621.50Bht ...... 2 years ago.

Water meter ......... 4,120bht

Edited November 4, 201510 yr by MaeJoMTB

The cost of the meter should be detailed in your contract, along with the sinking fund payment.

I believe that 5000B is common. 20,000B seems ridiculous, but if you agreed to it in your contract then there's not much you can do.

The cost of the meter should be detailed in your contract, along with the sinking fund payment.

I believe that 5000B is common. 20,000B seems ridiculous, but if you agreed to it in your contract then there's not much you can do.

Thanks for the response. The cost of the electrical meter transfer was not detailed in my contract, hence my question. 5,000, of course, sounds much more reasonable to me and is in line with what MaeJoMTB reports in his case. I've tried to visit the website for the Provincial Electrical Authority and see if I could find out if there is a standard cost to do the transfer but was unsuccessful. I will ask my condo developer for an explanation of how the cost was calculated and for any documentation from PEA.

The cost of the water meter is built into the purchase price of the condo. After handover I will be receiving monthly water bills from the condo.

The only cost from the electricity company is the deposit you are required to pay to take over the meter.

The electric company are very helpful. If you give them a call they will tell you the amount of deposit.

As a guide, one apartment building the company I work for owns has a deposit of 48,000 baht - for the whole building.

You can deal with the electricity company yourself. I suggest you do and cut out the gouging.

One you have done this the developer can get their deposit back.

The only cost from the electricity company is the deposit you are required to pay to take over the meter.

The electric company are very helpful. If you give them a call they will tell you the amount of deposit.

As a guide, one apartment building the company I work for owns has a deposit of 48,000 baht - for the whole building.

You can deal with the electricity company yourself. I suggest you do and cut out the gouging.

One you have done this the developer can get their deposit back.

Good idea. Haven't gotten a response back from the developer yet, but your suggestion is the way I'm leaning at the moment.

I transferred from the developer to PEC some time ago, I went to the PEC office in Naklua with blue house book & my passport all done in less than an hour, I think I paid around 4500 deposit, a couple of days later their workman turned up, removed the developers meter, attached their own and that was it. I returned the developers meter to him with the outstanding amount. After the first reading I set up a direct debit with PEC .

I have a 20,000 baht deposit with the PEA in my name, for a home that has 3 phase transformer and a 30/100 meter. If the condo was a whole floor and the possible monthly electric bill was estimated at over 10,000 baht and/or you have a 30/100 meter they might demand a 20,000 baht refundable deposit. I could not see that amount for a normal size meter on a sensible home or condo. The PEA deposit paper is very clear that it is a deposit in the Thai language.

If you contact the electric company yourself remember that the developer has to claim their deposit refund themselves from the electricity company.