You’ve just bought your dream home in Greece, and you’re getting ready to move in. One necessary step before you spend your first Greek summer in your holiday home is to change the utility bills to your name. This makes sure you can enjoy cool air conditioning in the summer, a refreshing swim in your pool, or an al fresco meal in the evening on your patio.
Electricity
Public Power Company (ΔΕΗ)
To add your name to the electricity bill, you can apply with any electricity company in Greece. There are a variety of suppliers, but most of our clients choose “DEI” (or ΔΕΗ) in Greece, which is the Public Power Company. You can submit your application with any DEI office in Greece regardless of where the property lies.
Online Options
Alternatively, you can register online at “myDEI“, an easy to follow website that lets you control your electric plan digitally. myDEI even has an app for your mobile phone. In select cases, it may be required to go into a store, but in most cases the whole registration process can happen through the myDEI website or app, and we recommend this method to our clients.
Other Providers
Some of the other popular electricity suppliers in the Greek market are the following:
– Watt + Volt
– Heron (Ήρων)
– Elpedison
– Volton
– Zenith
– Protergia (Πρωτέργια)
Note that someone else can make this change for you. In this case, authorization is required, which is given via the Power of Attorney or a simple authorization with your signature validated through e-Gov services.
What Documents are Required?
– Your AFM (Tax Identification Number)
– Proof of identity
– Property rental or purchase contract
– A recent electricity bill from the previous tenant/owner or the service number on the electricity meter
*In some cases, a certificate from a licensed Electrical Installer with an electric plan of the property will need to be supplied, but only if the previous one was submitted to the DEI more than 14 years ago.
What Does Everything on My Energy Bill Mean?
Naturally, if you don’t speak Greek, you won’t know everything written on your energy bill. Here is a useful link to help you read your Greek electricity bill, including the difference between electricity bills titled “estimate” and “actual.”
Water
The water supply in Greece is managed through local providers, of which the two largest are EYDAP (ΕΥΔΑΠ) for Athens and EYATH (ΕΥΑΘ) for Thessaloniki. Each local office may require different documents to put your name on the water bill, apart from those listed below. You will sometimes need to visit the local water company in person or send an authorized individual, as we mentioned above in the electricity section.
What Documents are Required?
– Your AFM (Tax Identification Number)
– The purchase deed
– The water connection serial number (a bill, for example, with the connection number listed.)
How to Find the Local Office
You can find the exact address of the closest service point to your home on the most recent water bill, or you can search for it here.
What Else Should I Take Into Consideration?
When you apply for a new connection, check that there isn’t any unpaid debt from the previous tenant or owner of the property. You can also check the Energy Performance Rating of your property to know the energy efficiency of the building.
Water Connection in Rural Areas
In rural areas, you will likely have separate connections for drinking water and for irrigation water. For other considerations on your future home’s location, read about the positives and negatives of urban and rural areas in Greece.
When Can Public Utilities be Transferred to the New Owner?
Public utilities and the associated bills can be transferred to the new owner’s name as soon as the notary purchase deed is signed.
