Utility expenses in Cyprus

Water Supply

Cold water in Cyprus is paid by meters and per actual consumption. The bill also contains a small fixed portion.

Information related to the current rates is available, for example, on the web-site of  Water Board of Limassol.

The rates are progressive. With low water consumption the cost of water is minor. However starting from certain volume (namely from 120 cub.m. per 4 months or, that is equal, from 1 cub.m. per day) a high rate is applied.

Provided that water is consumed reasonably then water consumption will not exceed the above mentioned level. A 4-member family living in an apartment consumes 0.6 cub.m. per day on average. Water charge comprises approximately 30EUR/month. In case the same family lives in a house on a small plot of land with a swimming pool and trees water consumption rises to about 0.7-0.8 cub.m. per day. In hot season trees require watering while a swimming pool needs water refilling and topping-up due to evaporation. Accordingly the charge may make up about 40EUR/month.

Water consumption is high only for the families that have a house with a large plot of land (from 1500 sq.m.) with a lawn. In hot season grass shall be actively watered otherwise it will burn in the hot Cyprus sun. In such cases we can recommend to have individual water well and to get water free of charge.

The above information refers solely to cold water. There is no centralized hot water supply in Cyprus. Each family performs water heating independently. With this purpose each house management has relevant equipment available on a roof (be it either private or apartment house). The equipment includes: a large cold water tank, a small hot water tank, an electric boiler, a solar panel and a pump. The pump runs cold water through the solar panel where it gets heated from sunrays. The heated water gets into the hot water tank. In hot and warm seasons water is heated solely by the sun, that is, free of charge. In the course of four relatively cold months (from December to March) solar energy is not sufficient for water heating. It has to be additionally heated by means of the electric boiler. Or, otherwise, provided that it is an individual house where heating is installed with a gas or diesel operated boiler then it is performed by means of that boiler.

Water heating expenses in cold season are provided below in section “Heating and air-conditioning”.

Power Supply

Information related to current electric power rates is available on the web-site of Cyprus Electric Company EAC.

House management may choose one of the two rates - one-part tariff (code - 05) when electricity charge is the same during day and night. And two-part tariff (code - 06) when electricity charge is lower at night and higher in the daytime.

The latter tariff is useful for owners of property where electric storage heaters are installed for heating. They get started at night when electricity is cheaper. Apart from that they do not only heat rooms but also accumulate and store heat inside them (as they are filled with special ceramic material). In the daytime the heaters turn off and release the heat stored during night.

Power supply in Cyprus is rather expensive. There are objective causes for that. The major amount of electricity is generated at thermal power plants operating on fuel oil that has been expensive for the recent years. Besides the power system is closed within the limits of a small island and scale effect reducing expenses is unavailable.

Reduction of electricity prices is expected in the nearest future. Thermal power plants will be rearranged to operate on natural gas, which will be extracted in the territorial waters of Cyprus, instead of fuel oil. Besides power system of Cyprus is set to be connected with those of Israel and continental Europe through underwater electric cables.

Electricity bills for a 4-member family living in an apartment may comprise approximately 100EUR/month. Provided that the family lives in a private house with a swimming pool (in order for the water not to spoil, a powerful engine runs the water through a filter, which shall operate several hours a day) then power supply charge will rise to 150EUR/month. The figures provided do not to include the expenses for room heating in winter and their air-conditioning in summer (such expenses are described in the next section). 

Heating and Air-Conditioning

Cold season in Cyprus lasts for three months – normally from the middle of December till early March (see page Climate). During that period rooms will be heated. Apart from that power is required for getting hot water. Heating is possible by both electricity (wall-mounted radiators or heated floors) and gas/diesel (for individual houses with a boiler operated by fuel firing).

It is particularly hot in Cyprus in July and August while it is hot enough in June and September. Thus rooms should be air-conditioned for approximately 3-4 months for comfort.

Expenses for heating and air-conditioning are strictly individual. As a first approximation they may be estimated as 1.500EUR per year. 

Telephone and Internet

There are several providers of telecommunication services in Cyprus. Those are, in the first place, CYTA, Primetel, Epic. Clicking on the links you can have a look at actual tariffs for their services.

Subscriber fee for fixed line phone, broadband Internet as well as for Internet TV comprises approximately 50EUR/month. 

Communal Expenses

Suppose you own an apartment in a complex the area of which comprises a swimming pool and a landscape garden. In that case residents of the complex shall pay expenses related to the complex on the whole. The expenses consist of the following:

• Labor of gardeners and area janitors
• Labor of workers providing maintenance of the swimming pool
• Cost of water for watering purposes
• Cost of electric power for the swimming pool operation, lighting of common areas and entrances and elevator operation

The above expenses normally comprise approximately 60EUR/month per family. Provided that the complex does not comprise a swimming pool and a large garden the expenses are much less – about 25EUR/month.

Now let us consider an opposite case. You are an owner of an individual house. You have no communal expenses to pay. But on the other hand your swimming pool and garden should be taken care of. You can do it on your own. This kind of work brings joy to many people. Nevertheless suppose you have to leave for several months. Then experts should be employed to provide maintenance of your swimming pool and garden. Monthly charge will make up approximately 100EUR for the swimming pool and the same amount for the garden. 

Other Expenses

Municipality charges nearly 100EUR/year from each household for waste removal.

Certain municipalities charge additional tax (small amount) for some infrastructure projects within the framework of that municipality.

And finally the last expense associated with property maintenance is property insurance as well as furniture, household appliances and similar movable property insurance. Insurance covers all force-majeure situations starting from burglary and ending with fire and earthquake. Annual value of insurance equals to approximately 0.16% of amount insured. It is you who determines the insured amount. It is quite reasonable to make it less than the contract value of the property for the latter amount comprises firstly the cost of land (to which nothing can happen) and secondly developer’s selling costs.