Utilities

Utilities for real estate include electricity, water, and gas connection. These are essential services you should be concerned with when you are buying a property or moving in to a new place.

Electricity

Always check the electrical wiring system and all the fuses while you are inspecting the property. If you notice any un-insulated wires, then request the landlord to insulate or remove them. If you are a foreigner buying the real estate, then you should know that many fuses in India are regular ones, and not those thin fuse wires. It is best to change the wires to make sure that they work well. You will get the fuses and wires at many electronic stores.

In Goa, like elsewhere in the country, there is standard electrical current of 240 volts at 50 hertz. Plugs are available in 2 designs – three-pronged round pins, two flat pins (like the US), and two narrow round pins (like Europe). You will easily find adapters at electronic stores. There are blackouts sometimes in the summer and the monsoon season, so you may want to buy an UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) to prevent damage to your electronic equipment. You can also get a portable power generator.

The electricity bill is issued every month. You can pay it online, at an e-SEVA shop, or at the local collection center.

How to apply for a new connection?

You can apply for an electricity connection at the Goa Electricity Department website if there is presently no connection. But this is very rare. New builder developed properties will already have electricity connection. Old houses for sale in Goa will also be connected, unless the department has disconnected the line for non-payment by the landlord, which is very unlikely.

New electricity connections are usually provided within 15 days of submitting the application, including the inspection, meter installation, and electricity flow.

How to transfer the name?

The meter will be in the landlord’s name, for old properties. You must register it in your name after the sale is complete. Plus, the electricity bill must also come in your name. This needs to be changed as well.

1. The application form for transfer of electricity meter is available online at the local electricity board office. Get the form.
2. Note down the current meter reading and the meter’s serial number, and mention this in the application.
3. Also mention the consumer number, your house or apartment address, and the address and name of the old and new owner.
4. Enclose the last paid electricity bill.
5. Enclose the last property tax paid receipt.
6. Enclose a copy of the sales deed. If the bank holds the deed, then a notary or the bank itself must attest the deed, mentioning that they have the original copy and that this is a photocopy of the sales deed as per the original.
7. Submit an NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the last owner, in whose name the meter and bill is registered.
8. Submit the required documents, including ID proof, address proof, and 2 passport size photographs.

Water

Like electricity, the water connection will already be there for both builder developed and pre-owned properties in Goa. A builder will not get the CC (Clearance Certificate) from the local municipality if the apartment, villas or house doesn’t have water connectivity.

Local councils are responsible for providing water. You must apply to the appropriate council for a connection in case there is no water in your property. You can submit the application here. You have to submit a few documents while applying –

1. Site plan that shows the location of your premises.
2. Self-attested copy of ownership/sales deed./allotment letter.
3. Water bill of a neighbor.
4. NOC from the PWD (Public Works Department) for cutting the road if a fresh connection has to be provided.
5. NOC from the municipality.
6. Certificate from a registered plumber.
7. Layout of internal pipelines.

But only the first document (site plan) is mandatory. The others are optional. New connections are made usually within 2 weeks.

Remember, in many areas, there will be restricted water supply. Tap water is available only for a few hours, so in most properties there are underground tanks from where the water is pumped to an overhead tank, which distributes throughout the house or apartment in Goa. There are private water suppliers as well who charge per tank. The cost also depends on the volume and distance.

The water bill is issued each month, which you can pay at an e-SEVA shop, or at the local water board collection center.

Gas

There is no piped gas in Goa for domestic cooking. So you have to depend on portable cylinders, which are supplied by government dealers. There can be electricity blackouts in the summer and the rainy season, so it is best not to depend on electric cooking. Plus, gas will also be cheaper on the long-term. Most new apartments are not furnished, so you have to purchase a gas stove too.

How to get a gas connection?

Follow these steps to get the connection –

1. Fill out the KYC (Know Your Customer) form, which is available with the dealers. You can download the form from the oil company websites as well.
2. Print an affidavit form on a stamp paper, where the minimum value should be Rs. 10 or 20. Get it notarized by a public notary.
3. Affix a color photo on the KYC form.
4. Attach documents to prove the address. You can submit the possession letter/ allotment letter or the sales deed, bank/credit statement, electricity bill, and a self-declaration that is attested by a gazette officer.
5. Attach documents to prove your ID.

Now submit these documents to the dealer with your application form. Pay the deposit amount, which includes the price of a stove, one cylinder, and the gasket. You can buy the stove from outside as well.

You will also have to pay the security deposit amount while making the application or getting the connection. The verification will take about a week. But often the wait-list is long, so it can take some time before you finally have the connection.

There are three oil businesses that provide gas connection. They are –

1. Indian Oil Corporation, commonly known as Indane.
2. Bharat Petroleum or Bharat Gas.
3. Hindustan Petroleum or HP gas.

After verification, the dealer will deliver a full cylinder to your place. They will collect the empty cylinder and supply a new one each month.

Goa May Have Piped Gas Soon

The Goa state government is working to provide piped gas for domestic cooking. An underground pipeline network has already been set up by GAIL (Gas Authority of India Ltd.) from the neighboring state of Karnataka. It is likely that North Goa will have natural gas for cooking before the south gets it.