How Many Baht Per Unit Is Home Electricity Progressive Tiers + a Worked Bill
A Thai home doesn't pay one flat rate per unit — it pays a stepped (progressive) tariff, where the more you use, the more your top units cost. This page lays out every residential tier (Type 1.1 and 1.2) plus the Ft and VAT, with a real worked bill, and explains why the headline “3.86 baht average” is not what your house actually pays.
Home electricity in Thailand is charged in tiers (a progressive rate), not one flat price per unit. From the September 2569 (2026) bill onward the base energy charge starts around 2.3488 THB/unit at the lowest tier, stays at no more than 3.0000 THB/unit through the first 200 units, and climbs to 4.3583 THB/unit at the top; then you add the Ft of 0.1623 THB/unit (Sep–Dec 2026 period), a monthly service charge, and 7% VAT. A typical home using ~350 units/month pays about 1,396.55 THB ≈ 3.99 THB/unit. The widely-quoted “3.86 THB average” is a system-wide average — not what a medium-to-heavy household actually pays. For per-unit rates by every user type, see how many baht per unit 2026. And this rate is the same nationwide — is the bill in the provinces (PEA) different from Bangkok (MEA)? See PEA vs MEA — is the bill different? If your household farms, check the special rate at agricultural electricity rate 2026
How the Tiers Work for Homes (Type 1)
Households are “Type 1” users, split by monthly usage. The base energy rates are a national base tariff — MEA (Bangkok metro) and PEA (provincial) use the same figures, differing only slightly in the monthly service charge (to see which appliances your units come from, see the 30-appliance wattage & cost table; and if your home has a three-phase meter, the per-unit rate is still this same set — see 3-phase electricity cost 2026):
Type 1.1 — usage ≤ 150 units/month (low-use homes)
Meter ≤ 5 amp, 220V, 1-phase. Charged across 5 sub-tiers:
| Units (kWh) | THB/unit |
|---|---|
| 0–15 | 2.3488 |
| 16–25 | 2.9882 |
| 26–200 | 3.0000 |
| 201–400 | 4.1584 |
| 401+ | 4.3583 |
Monthly service charge: 8.19 THB
Type 1.2 — usage > 150 units/month (medium-to-heavy homes)
Meter > 5 amp, 220V, 1-phase. Charged across 3 tiers:
| Units (kWh) | THB/unit |
|---|---|
| 0–200 | 3.0000 |
| 201–400 | 4.1584 |
| 401+ | 4.3583 |
Monthly service charge: 24.62 THB
What Your Home Bill Is Made Of
A home bill isn't just the energy charge — it has 4 parts, then VAT on top:
1) Energy charge (tiered) — sum each tier's units × that tier's rate (see the table above).
2) Ft charge — total units × 0.1623 THB/unit (Sep–Dec 2026 period). This is adjusted every 4 months.
3) Monthly service charge — 8.19 THB (Type 1.1) or 24.62 THB (Type 1.2), a flat monthly fee.
4) 7% VAT — 7% applied to the whole subtotal (energy + Ft + service charge).
In short: total bill = (tiered energy + Ft × units + service charge) × 1.07.
A Real Worked Bill: 350 Units/Month
A typical family home using 350 units/month (over 150, so Type 1.2). Step by step:
| Item | Calculation | THB |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 0–200 units | 200 × 3.0000 | 600.00 |
| Tier 201–350 units | 150 × 4.1584 | 623.76 |
| Energy subtotal | 600.00 + 623.76 | 1,223.76 |
| Ft charge | 350 × 0.1623 | 56.81 |
| Service charge (1.2) | flat | 24.62 |
| Subtotal before VAT | 1,223.76 + 56.81 + 24.62 | 1,305.19 |
| VAT 7% | 1,305.19 × 0.07 | 91.36 |
| TOTAL | 1,305.19 + 91.36 | ≈ 1,396.55 |
These figures are computed from verified rates as an example; your actual bill may differ slightly with your units and the Ft period. Enter your own units in the electricity bill calculator to see the per-tier breakdown, or see the full method at how to calculate your bill 2026.
1-Phase vs 3-Phase: Does the Per-Unit Rate Differ?
Things to Watch: Which Numbers Can Change
The Ft changes every 4 months — the current period is Sep–Dec 2026 at 0.1623 THB/unit, frozen at the same rate as the preceding May–Aug 2026 period (ERC resolution 22 Jul 2026, in effect since 1 Sep) — so home rates stay unchanged through year-end. Check the latest Ft at erc.or.th (ERC), or read what the Ft is.
The “3.86 THB/unit average” is not what you actually pay — it's a system-wide average. What you actually pay per unit depends on how much you use — a 350-unit home pays about 3.99 THB, while a 500–1,000-unit home climbs to roughly 4.2–4.5 THB because those units are billed in the pricier top tiers.
“Free 50 units” is not for every home — it's a welfare measure only for low-income, small residential users (Type 1.1.1, a small ≤5-amp meter) who use no more than 50 units/month. A qualifying home usually has its whole bill that month waived, while ordinary homes using over 50 units don't qualify. The threshold can change with each government measure — confirm eligibility at MEA 1130 / PEA 1129.
All figures are the new base rates in force from the September 2569 (2026) bill onward, checked against the MEA/PEA tariff tables on 8 Sep 2026. To confirm the latest, call MEA 1130 (Bangkok metro) or PEA 1129 (provincial), or check the utility websites directly.
About this page
Compiled by the CapSolar team, led by Frank Lee (Founder). Rates follow the MEA/PEA residential Type-1 base tariff and the ERC Ft for the Sep–Dec 2026 period. The worked bill is computed from verified rates; each home's actual bill depends on units used and the Ft period. Please confirm the latest rates at MEA 1130 / PEA 1129 / erc.or.th.
FAQ
Your top-tier units are the priciest ones
Daytime units often fall in your priciest top tier (up to 4.3583 THB). Rooftop solar offsets those expensive units first. CapSolar assesses for free whether it pays off for your home.