9.2 |
Electricity,
gas, water, telephone, and heating issues &
utilities |
Electricity and natural gas are
provided by the local distributing and retailing companies.
Natural gas is supplied to only a limited number of
cities.
Water is supplied by municipalities
within the municipal borders. Water bills are charged
on the basis of the amount of water you use.
Electricity, natural gas, telephone,
and water utilities are billed monthly, quarterly
or semi-annually depending on the supplier’s
choice.
In cities where natural gas is
supplied, gas central heating is the common practice.
In other cities, communal heating or electric heating
is more frequently observed. In coastal cities, solar
energy heating and boiling systems are used very widely.
All electricity, natural gas
and telecom companies are audited by the relevant
Regulatory and Supervisory Authorities. According
to the relevant laws, subscribers can complain about
their suppliers in case of any disputes. Moreover,
the Consumer Protection Law and the Competition Law
are the two laws targeting to protect all consumers
in the country.
It is suggested that as soon
as you take over the ownership, you immediately subscribe
to electricity, gas, water companies on behalf of
your own name. All subscription transactions can be
completed in a day.
On the other hand, if you plan
to rent your property out, make sure that the tenants
register to the utility suppliers on behalf of their
own names.
Taking into account the average
consumption figures of the Turkish residents, total
cost of the utilities explained in this section is
expected to range between £50 and £200
per month, depending on the features of the asset
and the utilization of the utilities.
Please note that many banks in
Turkey provide ‘direct debit’ services
especially for payments to utility companies. In addition,
if you will stay outside Turkey, you can use management
companies so that they will pay utility bills for
you.
