When you rent a room or a flat in Malta, the rent is rarely the only monthly cost. Electricity and water are billed by ARMS, the company that issues electricity and water bills on the island, and the rate on the bill depends on how the property is registered. Two rentals at the same rent end up costing different amounts once the bills arrive. Here is what to ask before you sign.
Three tariff types, set by a regulator
ARMS explains on its tariff page that electricity and water rates are regulated by the Regulator for Energy and Water Services (REWS). There are three types of rate:
- Domestic: for a home registered as a Domestic Premises Service. A consumer is entitled to register one primary residence, one secondary residence and one garage of up to 50 square metres used for private purposes.
- Residential: a domestic account benefits from residential rates when one or more people are registered on it. ARMS states that residential rates are cheaper than domestic rates.
- Non-residential: any service not registered as domestic or residential falls into this category.
On top of the residential rate, an eco-reduction benefit applies, based on the number of persons registered on the billing account.
Why the number of registered persons matters
The number of people registered on the account appears in the top right-hand corner of each electricity and water bill. ARMS sets three rules worth knowing as a tenant:
- Registration of persons is not automatic. A change needs an application form, submitted to an ARMS customer contact centre.
- One person is registered on one service at a time, never on two.
- A person moves their registration from one premises to another once a year. A further change only counts the following year, and a change completed after 30 November takes effect the next year.
For a student staying a few weeks, these rules mostly concern the landlord’s account. For a long let, they decide part of what you pay, so ask the landlord how the account is registered and how many persons appear on it.
Included in the rent, or billed on top?
Rental offers handle utilities in different ways. Find out which applies before you sign:
- Bills included: the rent covers electricity and water. Ask whether there is a cap, and what happens above it.
- Bills shared: the landlord passes on the ARMS bill, split between tenants. Ask to see a recent bill and how the split works.
- Fixed monthly amount: you pay a set sum towards utilities. Ask whether it is adjusted at the end against the real bill.
Whatever the formula, write it into the contract. Our guide on renting a flat in Malta as a student lists what a written lease must contain.
Read the meters yourself
The ARMS portal lets account holders submit meter readings and check their consumption online. As a tenant, keep your own record:
- Photograph the electricity and water meters on the day you move in, and again on the day you leave.
- Write both readings on the inventory you sign with the landlord.
- Compare them with the bill when it arrives.
Two readings and two dates are enough to check any share of a bill you are asked to pay.
ARMS also offers a bill calculator on its portal. Ask the landlord which tariff applies and how many persons are registered, enter the figures, and you get an estimate of the bill before it arrives. If the amount you are asked to pay is far above the estimate, ask to see the bill itself.
Where the electricity goes
Air conditioning is the line that moves a summer bill most. Our page on the cost of living in Malta for students lists it among the costs students forget to plan for. A few habits keep it in check:
- Set the air conditioning a few degrees below the outside temperature rather than as cold as it goes.
- Close shutters during the hottest hours of the day.
- Switch off the water heater when you leave for a weekend away.
- Unplug chargers and devices you are not using.
Water has a cost too. Most of Malta’s tap water comes from desalination plants that use electricity, as explained in our article on tap water in Malta. Short showers help both bills.
Five questions for the landlord
- Are electricity and water included in the rent, shared, or billed as a fixed amount?
- Is the account on a residential, domestic or non-residential rate?
- How many persons are registered on the account?
- May I see a recent bill for this property?
- Will we note the meter readings on the inventory together?
Clear answers to these five questions before you sign avoid the most common dispute at the end of a stay. If you are still choosing where to live, compare the options on our accommodation page, and ask a host family or a residence the same first question: are utilities part of the weekly price?
