How electricity, gas and water bills work in Iran — the SMS-only billing system, paying through apps, meter readings, and how shared bills are split in villas.
Common utilities in Iran are electricity, gas and water. Many homes also have a landline for calls and an ADSL or fibre-optic internet subscription. Bills are not included in the rent — the tenant pays them separately.
Billing is not on a fixed schedule but generally no more than every two or three months. Unlike many countries, if a bill isn’t paid immediately the balance simply rolls over to the next one; warnings — and a supply cut-off — only come once the amount due is deemed too high.
Paying your bills
Recent changes have done away with paper bills. Instead, you are notified of what you owe by SMS, so it is essential to register your mobile number with each utility provider. This can usually be done through their website, by SMS, by phone, or at a local Government Counter Office (daftar peeshkhan dawlat) — found throughout the city, offering various utility and postal services.
Bills can be paid easily through banking apps or third-party payment platforms such as Digipay or Asan Pardakht (see the Practical Info chapter for more on apps). If those aren’t possible, you can pay at an ATM or in cash at a government counter office.
Meter readings
Readings are normally taken by provider representatives who visit the building and ask for access to the meters. As meters are usually in a shared area or the front garden, they rarely need to enter private residences. If a meter reader can’t reach the meter, you may need to submit the reading yourself, by phone or SMS.
Shared bills
Apartments have separate meters for each utility. In older buildings such as villas, however, a utility’s meter may be shared between some or all residents. The bill is then divided equally, either by the number of floors (separate units) or by the number of residents. For example, for a three-floor villa with a $15 electricity bill:
Division by floors
| Floor | Share |
|---|---|
| Floor 1 | $5.00 |
| Floor 2 | $5.00 |
| Floor 3 | $5.00 |
| 3 floors | $15.00 |
Division by residents
| Floor | Calculation | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Floor 1 (2 residents) | ($15 ÷ 10) × 2 | $3.00 |
| Floor 2 (5 residents) | ($15 ÷ 10) × 5 | $7.50 |
| Floor 3 (3 residents) | ($15 ÷ 10) × 3 | $4.50 |
| 10 residents | $15.00 |
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