Rental Room, Dorm & Condo Electricity Cost 2026 + Your Tenant Rights
Many tenants get charged 7–10 THB/unit even though a new 2025 OCPB (สคบ.) law caps it at no more than 4.88 THB/unit and forbids any profit margin. This page gives the rate you should actually pay, your legal rights, how to check if you're overcharged, and what to do about it.
By law, dorm/rental electricity may be charged at no more than 4.88 THB/unit (OCPB 2025 ceiling) — the fair rate you should actually pay is ≈ 3.95 THB/unit, and no profit margin is allowed.
Under a new OCPB (สคบ.) law (the 2025 contract-control notification) a landlord of a rental room/dormitory/apartment may charge a tenant for electricity at NO MORE THAN 4.88 THB/unit — and may not profit on the power. The rate you should actually pay tracks the utility at about 3.95 THB/unit (Ft included); the 4.88 THB/unit is the "legal ceiling" that must not be exceeded. If you're billed 7, 8 or 10 THB/unit, it's over the cap and the landlord is profiting on electricity, which is not allowed — a clause charging above it is void. You can complain to the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (สคบ./OCPB, 1166). See the correct rate at how many baht per unit 2026, the legal detail at the rental/dorm electricity law 2026, and the big picture in the Thailand electricity guide.
Condo Electricity: How Many Baht Per Unit?
How many baht per unit for condo electricity? A direct utility meter pays about 3.95 THB/unit, while a sub-meter read by the juristic person may charge no more than 4.88 THB/unit (OCPB 2025 ceiling) — anything above that is over the legal cap. How many baht per unit for condo/apartment electricity depends on which meter your unit uses: with a direct utility meter (MEA/PEA) in the resident's own name you pay the real residential electricity rate, averaging about 3.95 THB/unit (Ft 0.1623 included) — to put a meter in your own name, see the new electricity meter fees and steps or How to apply for an electricity / TOU meter for dorms & condos. But if the condo/apartment uses a sub-meter that the juristic person or owner reads and bills, the new 2025 OCPB (สคบ.) law sets an explicit ceiling of no more than 4.88 THB/unit, with no profiting on power. If your condo/apartment bills 7–10 THB/unit, it exceeds the legal cap; you have the same right as rental-room and dorm tenants to demand a reduction and complain to the OCPB (1166).
What a Tenant SHOULD Actually Pay Per Unit
What a landlord charges a tenant should follow the utility rate (MEA for Bangkok–Nonthaburi–Samut Prakan / PEA for other provinces). The table below contrasts the correct rate with the inflated rates tenants are often charged:
| Case | Rate (THB/unit) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Direct utility meter (in tenant's name) | ~3.95 (home avg) | Cheapest — paid straight to the utility |
| Sub-meter read by landlord (OCPB legal cap) | ≤ 4.88 (OCPB cap) | OCPB 2025 law caps at 4.88 THB/unit + no profit margin |
| Over-charged (profiteering) | 7–10 (unlawful) | The excess is the landlord's profit — you can complain |
* The 4.88 THB/unit ceiling is the maximum the OCPB (สคบ.) 2025 contract-control notification allows a landlord to bill a tenant — no profit added. The rate you should actually pay tracks the utility at about 3.95 THB/unit (incl. Ft 0.1623). See the full all-type rate table at how many baht per unit.
The Law That Protects Tenants on Electricity (2025 OCPB Notification — 4.88 THB Cap)
In 2025 the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (สคบ./OCPB) issued the "notification of the Contract Committee — designating residential-building leasing as a contract-controlled business, B.E. 2568" (effective 4 Sept 2025) and moved to enforce it under the government "Quick Big Win" drive (Nov 2025). Its core rule: a landlord/dorm/apartment operator who installs a sub-meter and bills tenants for the units read must charge no more than the utility rate, subject to a hard ceiling of no more than 4.88 THB/unit, with no profit margin. They may collect only what the utility actually charges plus genuine service costs. A lease clause charging above the ceiling has no legal effect (void) even if the tenant signed it. Billing 7–10 THB/unit to make a margin therefore breaches this notification (the parallel กกร. price-control notification also remains in force). For the full legal detail and tenant rights, see the rental/dormitory electricity law 2026.
Important: this rule applies to the "electricity charge" tied to actual metered usage. A clearly-stated "common-area fee" or "service fee" is a separate matter, but the landlord must itemise it transparently — not hide it inside an inflated per-unit electricity rate.
Common Landlord Lines vs Your Correct, Law-Based Response
When you're overcharged, it's hard to know what to say. This table pairs the lines a landlord/dorm operator commonly uses with what you can calmly reply — grounded in the กกร. notification and real tenant rights (not an argument, just citing the law that already exists):
| The landlord says | You can reply (law-based) |
|---|---|
| "It's 8 THB/unit because it already includes the common-area electricity." | Electricity must be billed on actual units at the utility rate, and any common-area fee must be a separate line item. Under the กกร. notification you can't bury profit or shared costs inside an inflated per-unit price — please itemise the electricity and the common-area fee separately. |
| "You signed the lease, so you have to pay what you agreed to." | A clause that charges above the utility rate conflicts with the กกร. notification governing residential lease contracts, so it has no legal effect even if you signed it (see the rental-law page for detail). |
| "The meter is mine/the dorm's — you don't get to see the utility bill." | A tenant may ask to see the MEA/PEA invoice to confirm the rate charged matches what the utility actually bills. Refusing while charging 8–10 THB/unit is a red flag for over-collecting profit. |
| "Everywhere charges 7–8 THB/unit, it's completely normal." | Many places doing it doesn't make it legal. The real residential rate is about 3.95 THB/unit, and the 2025 OCPB (สคบ.) law caps the charge at no more than 4.88 THB/unit — so 7–8 THB/unit clearly exceeds the ceiling. If it's not adjusted, a tenant can complain to the OCPB on 1166 or the Department of Internal Trade on 1569. |
Note: the point of this table is to help you communicate with facts, not to confront. Many cases resolve simply by pointing out what the law requires. See the full complaint steps below.
How to Check If You're Being Overcharged
Do these 3 simple steps to find out whether your rental electricity is fair:
1. Find the per-unit rate on your bill/receipt — divide the electricity charge ÷ the units used. If it's above the 4.88 THB/unit legal ceiling it's clearly unlawful, and anything above ~3.95 THB/unit (the real utility rate) already signals profiteering.
2. Compare with the real utility rate — the 2026 residential average is about 3.95 THB/unit (incl. Ft). See the full tiered rates at how many baht per unit. If yours is much higher, ask the landlord how it's calculated.
3. Ask to see the building's actual utility bill — a tenant may request the MEA/PEA invoice to verify the real rate. If the landlord refuses and charges 8–10 THB/unit, that's a clear sign you're being taken advantage of.
Worked Example: A Rental Room Using 200 Units/Month
Suppose a rental room uses 200 units/month. At the rate you should actually pay (the utility ~3.95 THB/unit, Ft included) = 200 × 3.95 = about 790 THB/month; even at the maximum 4.88 THB/unit legal ceiling it's only 200 × 4.88 = 976 THB/month. But if the landlord charges 8 THB/unit = 200 × 8 = 1,600 THB/month. The 810 THB/month gap over the fair rate (about 9,720 THB/year) is the "electricity profit" the landlord over-collects — over the 4.88 ceiling and forbidden by law — which is exactly why checking your per-unit rate is so worthwhile.
Tip: keep every monthly electricity receipt/slip, photograph the meter at move-in and move-out, and note the meter reading at each month-end. This evidence proves your actual usage and helps a lot if you need to file a complaint.
What to Do If You're Overcharged
If you've confirmed you're charged above the utility rate, follow these steps:
Talk to the landlord first — point out that under the กกร. notification they can't charge above the utility rate, and ask them to bill at the actual rate. Many cases resolve through a conversation.
Complain to the OCPB (hotline 1166) — the Office of the Consumer Protection Board handles unfair rental-electricity charges. Bring your bills, lease and meter photos.
Notify the Department of Internal Trade (hotline 1569) — for controlled goods/services, including rental electricity above the cap, you can complain to the Department of Internal Trade directly.
Keep complete evidence — past bills, the lease, your messages with the landlord, and meter photos. The clearer the evidence, the faster your case moves.
About this page
Compiled by the CapSolar team, led by Frank Lee (Founder). The tenant-rights content references the Central Committee on Prices of Goods and Services (กกร.) notification and OCPB guidance; rates are checked against MEA/PEA and kept current to the latest Ft period. This page is general information, not personal legal advice — confirm the latest notification and consult the relevant authority before acting.
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