There is no central heating and hot water in Georgia, so each family takes care of it individually
Utility payments for residents of Georgia are one of the most important items of mandatory monthly expenses, non-payment is punished immediately in the country and utility debts are rare
In general, all utility payments in Georgia can be divided into two categories – mandatory for all residents and mandatory for residents of specific houses.
When calculating utility bills, one should keep in mind some peculiarities of Georgia. We have collected for You the main facts about utility bills in Georgia and not only.

Peculiarities of heating

There is no central heating and hot water in Georgia. On this basis, providing their property with these two necessary things, lies on the residents of the country themselves.
The law in the country controls only the safety of the device itself and the method of its installation.
What type of heater for water and heating to put and where to place the radiators – it is up to the owners themselves, based on their financial capabilities.

Today in Georgia there are two types of devices:

• boiler for heating water and heating or two separate units;
• a boiler for heating water, called a “column” in Georgia, and a separate heating system built into the wall of the apartment, or “karma” – this has become a household name in memory of the first company of such units in Georgia.

Electric systems are rare in Georgia and almost impossible to find in ordinary apartments.
The advantages of such a system are the ability to control the temperature of both hot water and the temperature in the apartment; the disadvantages are the need to check the system for safety.
According to the new laws, it is mandatory to install carbon monoxide detectors in Georgia. Also, gas companies check the condition of the gas supply system in houses once a year and identify violators of safety rules.

Absence of housing and communal services

In Georgia there is no such concept as housing and communal services. The residents of a particular house are responsible for the maintenance of the house themselves, paying for all the benefits from their own pockets with the assistance of the mayor’s office.

To solve the problems of the house, a partnership of apartment owners is created, which is officially registered in the district administration, and then it decides whether it is necessary to repair the roof or the entrance, to fix the elevator, as well as how to solve the problem with landscaping or drains in the yard of the house, and how much money should be invested by the neighbors to solve a particular problem.

In modern apartment buildings, such issues are handled by the administration of the complex. Therefore, a house maintenance fee is usually found there.
It is based on the obligation of the residents of the house to pay everything out of their own pockets that Georgia has such an unusual phenomenon as paid elevators. Paid elevators have solved all disputes with neighbors about who should pay how much, and how to collect money for elevator maintenance, as well as for lights in the entrance.

In the old apartment buildings, to make the elevator go, you have to drop a coin, in the new ones – to attach a chip or card. Monthly payment for the card or chip is the responsibility of the apartment dwellers.
As for cleaning and cleanliness of the entrances, it is the sole responsibility of the residents of the entrance or floor. Such things are not included in the utility payments.

The only thing is a monthly bill for garbage disposal according to the number of registered tenants in the apartment, thus the residents of the country pay for the cleanliness of garbage bins.

Getting rid of garbage in Georgia

There are no garbage chutes in high-rise apartments in Georgia. All garbage cans are located on the streets and are emptied every day by municipal services.
Officially, there is no law on garbage sorting in the country. However, there are several organizations that accept garbage for recycling – we are talking about plastic, paper, cardboard and glass. In addition, there are battery drop-off points in every major city and companies for the removal of large construction waste.

Utilities in Georgia

Payment for utilities in Georgia does not depend on the size of the dwelling, nor on the location, residents of the country pay only for what they use. Thus, the gas bill in apartments with the same area and even in the same house can be radically different.

In Georgia, it is always worth remembering that the more gas, electricity or water a particular family uses, the higher the utility bill will be.

Based on the need to pay for your own consumption, the energy efficiency class of any gas or electric appliance, the serviceability of the appliance, as well as the thermal insulation of the dwelling itself are of great importance in Georgia.

At the same time, the country has unified tariffs for water, gas and electricity, so negligence of the lights on and electrical appliances left on can lead to an unpleasant surprise when receiving a bill.

Utility Payments in Georgia

Tariff	Tbilisi (GEL)	Regions (GEL)
Electricity	Up to 101 kWh – 0.15	Up to 101 kWh – 0.14731
	Up to 301 kWh – 0.19	Up to 301 kWh – 0.15707
	Over 301 kWh – 0.235	Over 301 kWh – 0.23227
Gas	Cubic meter – 0.53971	Cubic meter – 0.56928
Water	Cubic meter – 0.424	Cubic meter – 0.499

What happens for non-payment

Georgia has a strict payment control system, and companies cut off electricity, gas or water supplies the day after the payment deadline.

At the same time, it will not be possible to avoid paying some supposedly unimportant payment. If you fail to pay your garbage, water or electricity bills, utility companies will cut off the power. And if the gas bill is not paid, the gas will be turned off.

A peculiarity of Georgia is the absence of paper notifications about the accrual of payments. Owners receive notifications in the form of text messages, and the debt is also visible in the bank’s mobile application.
You can check your debt on the company’s website by entering your subscriber number.

Georgia is almost completely gasified and the absence of natural gas in an apartment in a house can only be found in high-mountain, hard-to-reach villages.
That is why almost every apartment has a gas stove and oven.