Real Estate Fraud: Opening the Electricity Meter

In Turkey, purchasing a new residential flat entails a number of necessary steps to get the unit ready for habitation. The most crucial of these steps is turning on the electricity metre and opening the gas, water and internet connections. This article will describe instances of real estate fraud committed by certain real estate firms in Turkey at the time the electricity metre was opened.

What are the steps involved in opening Turkish electricity metres?

Visit the following papers' webpage on the Turkish electricity company's website in your area. They are in charge of offering the electricity metre operation service.

- The insurance document, also referred to as the DASK: Any insurance company will provide this paper, and the cost will increase with the size of the flat based on its area.

A copy of the foreigner's passport or proof of residency in Turkey.

The number on the electricity metre that is connected to the apartment can be read, or if the apartment has ever been occupied, it can be found on previous electricity bills.

The apartment's title deed in the case of the owner or, in the case of the tenant, the lease agreement.

A Turkish phone number for emergencies or communication.

In addition to the costs associated with opening the electricity metre, which are regarded as a form of insurance that the user must pay to the electricity company.

Observations when activating Turkey's electricity watch

- It is preferable for the tenant or the owner of the flat to open the watch themselves. If the owner is abroad, he may designate a trustworthy third party to handle the process on his behalf.

It is crucial to understand that Turkey uses a different method than many other nations to determine the number of electricity hours. The period from five o'clock in the afternoon to ten o'clock at night is known as the "peak hours," and during these hours, the hourly rate is higher than it is during the "reduction" periods, which run from twelve o'clock at night until six o'clock in the morning.

Within one to three hours of the application materials being submitted in full, a representative of the electricity company will visit the required flat to confirm the metre number and activate the electricity hour.

In Turkey, how do you pay your electricity bill?

In Turkey, there are numerous ways to make payments. The most significant ones are as follows:

-Payment at the collection centres or sales points that the operating company has licenced; these are found in most shopping centres and in the spaces between stores. In this case, payment is typically made with cash or a bank card, adding one Lira to the invoice's total amount.

- Through a bank account: This is the most popular and straightforward option, but it requires the customer to have an online bank account that is activated. The payment is made directly from your current account to the electricity company's account, and some banks even pay the bill on the customer's behalf; this is known as the automatic instruction method, in which the bank pays the electricity company the bill value and then deducts the bill amount from the customer's account with it.

PTT or state postal centres are additional locations where electricity bills can be paid.

How does electricity metre opening fraud in real estate occur in Turkey?

When real estate companies charge investors large sums of money for the service of opening an electricity metre, even though they are aware that the average cost of operating an electricity metre is less than $100, this is considered real estate fraud. As we've seen, opening the electricity clock only requires a few easy steps that can be carried out on your own without the assistance of dishonest businesses.