Transferring electricity and water accounts in Bulgaria

Real estate · Last reviewed: 2026-10-07

First pin down the operator and the area

Electricity distribution is carried out by different companies by region, and each has its own general terms approved by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (КЕВР). This article rests on the text of the one company whose approved general terms we read: „Електроразпределение Север“ АД. If you are in another region the rules may be similar, but do not assume they are the same; find your company's general terms on the КЕВР site. For water, the account is opened by the water and sewerage (ВиК) operator for your area.

Electricity: who can be a customer and when it starts

According to the general terms we read, the customer is the owner, or holder of a right of use, of the site connected to the network. Another person, a user, can also be the customer if the owner has provided notarised written consent for it. So if you are a tenant, the owner's notarised consent is often the real condition; do not assume a rental contract is enough. The customer presents originals or notarised copies of the documents proving ownership or the right of use.

After the application, the customer enters the contractual relationship with the operator under the general terms within 10 days at the latest. For sites registered on the market at freely negotiated prices, the relationship always begins on the 1st of the month, provided the application and documents were submitted by the 15th of the previous month and there is no refusal. So if your handover day falls mid-month, confirm the calendar with the company.

1. 1

   Photograph the meter

   On the day you receive the keys, photograph the display and serial number and have the reading written into the handover record.
2. 2

   Prepare the documents

   Proof of ownership or right of use, ID; for a tenant, the owner's notarised consent. See your company's general terms for the full list.
3. 3

   Apply before the 15th

   For sites on the free market an application submitted by the 15th takes effect from the start of the next month; missing the date can delay the transfer by a full month.
4. 4

   Follow the closing of the old account

   When ownership or use changes the earlier contractual relationship ends; in a sale both parties, and in an inheritance the heirs, must notify the company of the change.

Water (ВиК): how an account is opened

According to the КЕВР water Q&A page, for individuals the account records the three names, personal number and permanent address from the ID document, the address of the property served, a correspondence address and a phone number. For a single-family house with one user the operator opens an account after an application on the standard form and presentation of documents with the identifying details. Where several people hold the user's rights but one of them uses the property, the account is opened in the name of that person based on a written agreement with the users.

If more than one user uses the property, the operator opens accounts for all of them, and the quantities are split by an agreement protocol or equally. In inherited or shared homes this can come as a surprise: if shares differ, prepare a document showing them in advance.

Frequently asked questions

Related topics