qSaudi 10 Tools to Lower Monthly Electricity Bill in Saudi Arabia- Saudi Electricity Company- SEC

Genuinely frustrated by your electricity bills in Saudi Arabia?

Want full control over your monthly bill from Saudi Electricity Company (SEC)? Don’t look for Alladin’s magic lamp on Amazon, ask qSaudi instead.

Many expats especially those new to Saudi Arabia might find it difficult to understand the monthly electric bill. This tricky task will be made easy for you thanks to qSaudi’s 10 Tools that help you lower monthly electricity bills in Saudi Arabia.

Magically, by knowing these numbers you will empower yourself to take full control of your electric bill. We will show you how the bill is calculated. You will be able to know how much you use every day. Knowing which appliances are draining your pockets, you can make wiser decisions. Want to lower your electricity bills? Read On.

TEN ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS in SEC Electricity Bill

As soon as you look at a bill from SEC, do not be confused. Here is what you need to spot on your electricity bill:

  1. Amount due (Al Mablag Al Matloob): is the amount of money you have to pay.
  2. Account number (Raqm al Hisab): The Account Number for Your electric connection
  3. Due date (Tarikh al Istihqaq): is the date until which you need to pay your bill.
  4. Bill start date (Bidayat al Fatrah): The date from which usage is calculated.
  5. Bill end date (Nihayah Al Fatrah): The date until which usage is calculated.
  6. Date of disconnection of services (Tarikh Fasl Al Qahraba): This is when your connection will be disconnected if you do not pay your bill.
  7. Number of days (Adad al Ayam): Total Number of Days for which Usage is Calculated
  8. Previous reading ( Al Qira’ah as Sabiqah): The Previous Reading of Units Used on Your Electric Meter
  9. New reading (Al Qira’ah Al Haliya): The Present Reading of Units Used in Your Electric Meter
  10. Units consumed in this period (Kammiyah al istihlak): Total Number of Units Consumed

HOW TO SPOT these 10 items on the Monthly Bill

Whether you receive a paper bill or are subscribed to e-bill, we explain using images how and where to spot these 10 items:

  • Amount due (Al Mablag Al Matloob): It features at the upper Right-Hand Corner of the bill.

 

  • Account number (Raqm al Hisab): It also features at the upper Right-Hand Corner of the bill.

Knowing the SEC Account Number helps you track your bill from anywhere, even online. It also prevents you from mixing up your future bills with those of your neighbors.

  • Due date (Tarikh al Istihqaq): It features at the upper portion of the center of the bill.

Knowing the due Date helps you remember when to pay the bill. If you have subscribed to e-bill or SMS Updates from SEC you will be notified in advance.

  • Bill start date (Bidayat al Fatrah) and Bill end date (Nihayah Al Fatrah): These feature at the top center of the SEC bill.

Knowing the exact dates for the billing period helps you monitor usage during the specific time period. For example, if you were on vacation for 30 days the bill should logically be less. Sometimes it helps us understand why the bill was higher than usual. For instance, you might recall you had family or friends visiting. Did you wash a lot of clothes this month? Maybe time to change the washing machine. Also, you might notice electric usage is higher in summers due to AC and likewise you can work on cutting down AC usage. All this avoids unnecessary visits to SEC office or calling customer care.

  • Date of disconnection of services (Tarikh Fasl Al Qahraba): Features at center top.

Knowing Date of Disconnection helps you prepare for expected power cuts if you can not pay bills. It is always best to pay bills before this date to avoid last-minute surprises in Saudi Arabia.

  • Number of days (Adad al Ayam): Features at the bottom center of the SEC electric bill

This helps you know for how many days the present amount has been calculated. You can also calculate your average usage per day and try to bring it down.

  • Previous reading ( Al Qira’ah as Sabiqah) and New reading (Al Qira’ah Al Haliyah)

Knowing the Previous and New Readings helps you monitor how your electric meter is calculating usage. In case something is wrong with the meter you can immediately come to know

  • Units consumed in this period (Kammiyah al istihlak): Fatures at right bottom portion.

This shows you the exact number of Units you have consumed  (usually in Kilo Watt Hours). This is useful if you have a rough idea of how many Watts your lights and appliances consume, which is written at the bottom/ behind of each device. You can then bring this figure down through controlled usage and that will bring your electricity bill down. You might also notice that you have to change your light bulbs or washing machine etc if they consume too much electricity.

Hungry for more?

If you are absolutely committed to slaying the demons of the electric underworld, read more tips from our article:  How to Reduce Electricity Bills in KSA?