Water, gas and electricity: how to check and connect utilities

Check before paying a deposit

“All utilities nearby” guarantees nothing. A pipe on the next street and a connection into the house are different costs and different timelines. So before paying a deposit, find out three things for each utility: is it connected now, whose name is the contract in, and are there any debts?

• Recent electricity, gas and water bills: whose name they are in and whether anything is owed.
• Customer account numbers with each supplier.
• Where the meters are and whether they are sealed.
• Electrical connection capacity: is it enough for a water heater, air conditioner and heaters?
• Where the water comes from: a mains supply, a community network, a borehole or a well.

Electricity

Electricity is distributed by Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC. If the house is already connected, the new owner needs to transfer the contract to their name. According to the unified public services platform hartak.am, you need a passport or ID card and a document proving ownership (or the right of purchase); a tenant needs the owner's written consent. The service is free, takes up to 15 working days and can be requested online or at an office; the hotline is 180.

If there is no grid connection, it is a new connection, with technical conditions and a connection fee that depends on capacity and location. Check the amount and timing with the network company before buying. Demand is growing: according to the company, from the start of 2026 to early September it received about 12,000 applications from new customers, some 5,000 more than in the same period last year, and about 7,000 have already been connected.

Water

Water supply and sewerage in Yerevan and many regional communities are run by Veolia Jur CJSC. In some villages the water network belongs to the community itself, in which case ask the community head about connection terms.

According to hartak.am, you can become a customer for an already connected house free of charge at a Veolia Jur service office: you need a passport, a document proving ownership and, for a tenant, the owner's consent. It takes up to 15 working days; the hotline is 1-85.

For a new connection, under rules published by the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), the supplier issues technical conditions or a connection agreement within 20 working days. The offer of a service contract must follow no later than 60 working days after the connection agreement is signed, or 120 working days if the pipe has to run more than 500 metres or a pumping station is needed. As a rule, the applicant pays for building new networks and buying the meter.

Boreholes and wells

Where there is no mains water, many people drill a borehole. The Water Code allows free water use for non-commercial purposes, but drilling boreholes and extracting groundwater usually requires a water use permit, issued by the Ministry of Environment; you can apply online. According to hartak.am as of September 2026, the state fee for individuals for a groundwater permit is 95,000 AMD, and review takes up to 50 working days. Check with the ministry whether you need a permit in your case, and always have drinking water tested.

Gas

Gas is supplied by Gazprom Armenia CJSC. If the house already has gas, transfer the contract to your name and ask for the paperwork on the gas equipment. If there is no gas, the procedure in outline is: a connection application, technical conditions, a connection agreement and payment, installation, and then a gas supply contract. Leave gas work to specialised companies only: a DIY connection is dangerous and will not be accepted. Check the tariff and exact terms for your address with the supplier.

Key takeaways

• Before paying a deposit, check bills, debts, meters and connection capacity for every utility.
• Electricity and water can be transferred to a new owner free of charge within 15 working days.
• A new connection means technical conditions, separate timelines and costs, so find them out before you buy.
• A borehole may need a water use permit, so check in advance.
• Gas work goes only through the supplier and specialised companies.