Landlord Electricity and Water Prices in Chiang Mai (2026)
A landlord letting three or more units may not set electricity or water rates above what the utilities charge the landlord. PEA's residential rate is THB 3.0000 per unit up to 200 units from the September 2026 bill, before Ft, the monthly service charge and VAT.
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A month of 200 units on the PEA residential tariff costs THB 600 in energy charge, before Ft, the monthly service charge and VAT. That is a figure to hold a landlord’s bill against. The rest of this guide shows where it comes from and what the lease rule says about extras.
What the lease rule says a landlord may charge
The Gazette notification on residential building rental covers an operator who lets three or more units to an individual tenant. Dormitories and hotels are outside it.
For those operators, a lease term setting electricity and water rates above the rates the utilities charge the operator is prohibited.
ข้อสัญญาที่กำหนดให้ผู้ประกอบธุรกิจกำหนดอัตราค่าบริการไฟฟ้าและน้ำประปา ซึ่งเกินกว่าอัตราที่ผู้ให้บริการไฟฟ้าและน้ำประปาเรียกเก็บจากผู้ประกอบธุรกิจ
Editor’s translation: A contract term that lets the operator set electricity and water service rates above the rates the electricity and water utilities charge the operator.
Royal Gazette vol. 142, special part 211 ง, 6 June 2025, clause 6.1(6) (ข้อ ๖.๑ (๖))
Operators collect water and electricity at no more than the state rate, with no service fee or margin. Use the PEA and PWA tables below as the benchmark.
Form A clause 6 allows service charges, which can look like a clash. It is not one. A service charge is the operator’s cost of a service for the tenant’s convenience or safety, and not a cost of running the letting business.
Electricity and water are not that: they are billed at the utility’s rate with nothing added. In rented rooms they are charged at actual cost, with no profit margin.
A landlord with one or two units is outside clause 4. Ask that landlord for the same terms in writing.
PEA electricity tariff from the September 2026 bill
PEA distributes electricity in 74 provinces, excluding Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan. Chiang Mai is not one of the excluded provinces.
PEA’s residential rate structure applies from the September 2026 electricity bill. PEA sorts a home meter by the units it records in a month: up to 150 units is category 1.1.1, and more than 150 units is category 1.1.2. Read the column for the units on your bill.
| Units in the month | Category 1.1.1 (up to 150 units) | Category 1.1.2 (over 150 units) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 | THB 2.3488 | THB 3.0000 |
| 16 to 25 | THB 2.9882 | THB 3.0000 |
| 26 to 200 | THB 3.0000 | THB 3.0000 |
| 201 to 400 | THB 4.1584 | THB 4.1584 |
| 401 and above | THB 4.3583 | THB 4.3583 |
These rates exclude the monthly service charge, the Ft charge and VAT. The Ft charge for September to December 2026 is 16.23 satang per unit.
The new structure cut the rate for units 201 to 400 from THB 4.2218 to THB 4.1584.
Is the new low first-band rate in force?
The ERC decided on 5 August 2026 that the progressive rate takes effect from the September 2026 bill. PEA’s notice of 11 September 2026 applies it from the September 2026 bill.
On 15 July 2026 the national energy policy committee approved the first 200 units at THB 3 per unit. The PEA and ERC pages name houses and temporary meters, not rented rooms. The extension of the THB 3 band to rental homes, dormitories and apartments appears in press only. Check your landlord’s bill instead of assuming it.
Houses without a permanent registration paid a temporary rate of THB 6.8024 per unit. The ERC had the utilities move them to the registered-house rate. A temporary meter qualifies if it is used for living in the home and has a payment history of at least 6 months.
Worked bill examples
These are totals, not quotes. All exclude the service charge and VAT.
- A month of 200 units, the top of the first rate band: THB 600 in energy charge, in total.
- A month of 400 units, the top of the second band: THB 1431.68 in energy charge, in total.
- 200 units with Ft added: THB 632.46, in total.
- A month at the low-use limit of 150 units: THB 440.11 in energy charge, in total.
- A month with the first band full and a hundred units in the second: THB 1015.84 in energy charge, in total.
A landlord’s own cost depends on the meter the building is on.
Water: the PWA residential tariff
PWA has a Chiang Mai branch at 330 Chiang Mai-Lampang Road. Its Table No.3 covers PWA areas not listed in tables 1 and 2.
| Water used per month | PWA residential rate |
|---|---|
| First 10 cubic metres | THB 10.20 per cubic metre |
| 11 to 20 cubic metres | THB 16.00 per cubic metre |
| 21 to 30 cubic metres | THB 19.00 per cubic metre |
| 31 to 50 cubic metres | THB 21.20 per cubic metre |
The minimum is THB 50 a month. A residential user above 50 cubic metres in a month pays the type 2 (government and small business) rate from the 51st.
Water for 30 cubic metres, the first three bands, comes to THB 452 in total. Water for 50 cubic metres, all four bands, comes to THB 876 in total. The PWA tariff carries no effective date.
Check your bill and complain
Ask first whether your meter is a PEA or PWA meter in your name, or a sub-meter the landlord bills. For a sub-meter, the landlord’s rate may not exceed the rate the utility charges the landlord. Ask to see the landlord’s latest utility bill, and photograph your own meter on move-in and move-out.
Form A has lines for the electricity and water rates, the payment period and the calculation method. Clause 5 lets the rates change when the utility provider raises or cuts them, with the provider giving advance notice.
Clause 8 requires the operator to send the invoice at least three days before the payment date, and the tenant may check the charges. Clause 6 limits service charges to what the operator actually paid, on reasonable grounds.
- Find the rate and the calculation method written in the lease.
- Compare the rate with the PEA tiers and the PWA table above.
- Ask to see the utility bill if the rate is higher.
- Complain to the OCPB hotline, 1166.
PEA’s contact centre is 1129. The ERC takes complaints about a bill still charged at a temporary rate on 1204 or 0-2207-3599. For the lease itself, see the rental contract guide, and for deposits, the deposit guide. The wider picture is in Rent an Apartment in Chiang Mai.
Step by step
- Find your landlord's rate in the leaseForm A has lines for the electricity and water rates, the payment period and the calculation method.
- Compare it with the PEA tiersPEA charges THB 3.0000 per unit for units 26 to 200 and THB 4.1584 for units 201 to 400, before Ft, service charge and VAT.
- Check the invoiceThe operator sends the invoice at least three days before the payment date and the tenant may check the charges.
- Look for markupsA rate above what the utility charges the operator is a prohibited term.
- Complain if it does not add upCall the OCPB hotline, 1166, or PEA on 1129.
Not confirmed: Which tariff a landlord's own meter is on is not stated in the PEA or ERC pages, so ask to see the utility bill. Whether the THB 3 band reaches a rented room is reported only in press. PWA's table carries no effective date.
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Common questions
Can my landlord charge more per unit than the power company?
A term letting the operator set electricity and water rates above the rates the utilities charge the operator is prohibited. The operator adds no service fee or margin on top.
What does PEA charge per unit now?
From the September 2026 bill, THB 3.0000 per unit for units 26 to 200. Units 201 to 400 cost THB 4.1584 and units from 401 THB 4.3583. All exclude Ft, the monthly service charge and VAT.
Is the new low first-band rate in force?
The ERC decided on 5 August 2026 that the structure takes effect from the September 2026 bill. PEA's notice applies it from the September 2026 bill.
Do tenants in rented rooms get the THB 3 rate?
Your charge is capped by the landlord's own utility bill, whatever tariff that meter is on. The THB 3 band reaching rented rooms is reported only in press. PEA and ERC pages name houses and temporary meters, not rented rooms. Ask to see the bill.
What is Ft?
It is a charge added on top of the PEA rates, and for September to December 2026 it is 16.23 satang per unit.
How much does water cost in Chiang Mai?
PWA residential water costs THB 10.20 per cubic metre for the first 10 and THB 16.00 for 11 to 20. It costs THB 19.00 for 21 to 30 and THB 21.20 for 31 to 50. The minimum is THB 50 a month.
Can a landlord add a service fee to the electricity bill?
Not on the electricity and water itself: operators charge no service fee or margin on those. A separate service charge covers conveniences or safety for the tenant and is limited to what the operator actually paid, on reasonable grounds.
Where do I complain about an overcharge?
The OCPB hotline is 1166. PEA's contact centre is 1129, and the ERC takes complaints on 1204.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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