Bangkok: The house is using a temporary meter for residential purposes. Upon checking the September bill, the conditions for switching to the residential rate were met. The government reiterates that households using temporary meters for residential purposes will have their September bills checked. If the conditions are met, the rate will be adjusted to the standard rate, with the first 200 units of energy costing no more than 3 baht.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Lalida Periswiwatana, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, is moving forward with efforts to reduce electricity costs and ensure fairness for residents still using temporary electricity meters. She urged the public to check their electricity bills starting from the September 2026 billing cycle. If their electricity usage is genuinely for residential purposes and they have a payment history of at least six months, they will qualify to switch from the previous temporary electricity meter to the residential rate.
These measures are in line with the guidelines of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to assist residents who do not yet have a permanent address but continuously use electricity for residential purposes. Previously, these users were charged a temporary electricity rate of 6.8024 baht per unit, but they will be switched to the residential rate starting from the September 2026 billing cycle onwards.
For residential electricity rates, the first 200 units of electricity used will be charged at a maximum of 3 baht per unit. For units 201 and above, the rate will be calculated according to the tiered residential electricity tariff. It is important to note that this rate applies only to the energy cost. The final amount on your electricity bill includes other components according to the tariff structure, so it should not be misunderstood as the 3 baht per unit being the net rate for every unit or the average of the entire bill.
Ms. Lalida stated that those who will benefit from this measure must be users of temporary electricity meters for actual residential use and have a history of paying electricity bills for at least 6 months. This measure does not cover other types of temporary electricity use, such as electricity for construction sites. The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) expects nearly 40,000 households to benefit.
"Customers who are using temporary electricity meters for residential purposes and have been paying their electricity bills for at least six months should check their bills starting from the September billing cycle. They should check whether the user type or electricity rate has been adjusted to the residential category. If they still find themselves being charged at the temporary electricity rate, they should keep their bills as evidence and contact the relevant agency for investigation and correction according to the regulations," Ms. Lalida said.
The public can inquire or report problems via the LINE Official Account 'ERC Voice' (@ERCvoice), the ERC Office Facebook Page, or the Information Service Center at 0 2207 3599 or 1204 during business hours.
The deputy spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office stated that the measure aims to reduce the disparity in electricity costs among people who use electricity for similar residential purposes, and to help households that previously had to pay temporary rates for extended periods to receive rates that better reflect their actual electricity usage.