Issued by Saudi Electricity Regulatory Authority Decision 3/60/2025
1․ Objective:
The objective of this guide is to motivate the service provider to achieve an advanced level of services, and to compensate consumers/service applicants in the event that the service provider fails to meet the service level limits specified in this guide.
2․ Official documents related to this document:
(a) The Electricity Law issued by Royal Decree D/44 dated 16 Jumada Al-Awwal 1442 [31 December 2020].
(b) The Executive Regulation of the Electricity Law regarding the functions of the authority issued by the board of directors of the authority decision 02/43 dated 13 Rabi Al-Thani 1443 [19 November 2021].
(c) The Guide for Providing Electrical Service issued by the Saudi Electricity Regulatory Authority 46/430 dated 1 Rajab 1430 [24 June 2009] and its amendments.
3․ Scope:
The provisions of this document apply to all electricity service providers licensed for transmission or distribution and retail, and they also apply to all categories of consumers without exception (residential, commercial, agricultural, governmental, industrial, etc., in accordance with the details described in the Guide for Providing Electrical Service).
The objective of this guide is to motivate the service provider to achieve an advanced level of services, and to compensate consumers/service applicants in the event that the service provider fails to meet the service level limits specified in this guide.
4․ Definitions:
The following terms and phrases have the meanings assigned to each of them when used in this guide, unless the context requires otherwise.
Authority:
The Saudi Electricity Regulatory Authority.
Service provider:
Every person holding a valid license issued by the authority authorizing him to carry out any electrical activity.
Consumer:
Every person provided with electricity service for his own consumption.
Service applicant:
A natural or legal person who submits an application for an electricity service connection to the facility or to an independent unit he owns, or to make any modification to the service after the connection.
Total blackout:
Power outage of the entire electricity system in accordance with the parameters mentioned in the seventh standard of this document.
5․ Standards of electrical services for which the service applicant/consumer is entitled to compensation if the service provider does not comply with them (guaranteed standards):
First Guaranteed Standard
Duration of the Registration of the Meter in the Name of the Consumer
If the owner of the facility/tenant submits an application to register the meter in his name or cancel the registration, and attaches the required documents, this service must be carried out for him within three working days.
If the application is not completed within the period specified above, the applicant is entitled to an amount of 100 Riyal, in addition to 20 Riyal for each additional or part of a working day.
The beginning of the period must be calculated from the working day following the day of submitting the application.
Second Guaranteed Standard
Duration of the Electricity Service Connection or Modification After Payment
If the service applicant submits an application for an electricity service connection, or submits an application for modification to the existing electricity service, such as addition, reinforcement, division, or assembly, or submits an application for temporary connection for construction purposes, and pays for the connection or actual costs—in accordance with the Guide for Providing an Electrical Service—the application must be executed within a specified period according to the scope of work required, as follows:
– Within 20 working days for connection applications on the low voltage network (loads not exceeding 4 kVA).
– Within 60 working days for connection applications on the medium voltage (loads exceeding 4 kVA),
or for low voltage connection applications that require work on the medium voltage network.
If the electricity service is not connected within the period specified above, the service applicant is entitled to an amount of 400 Riyal, in addition to 20 Riyal for each additional or part of a working day.
The beginning of the period must be calculated from the working day following the day of payment.
Third Guaranteed Standard
Duration of the Electricity Service Restoration After Payment
If the electricity service is disconnected from a consumer due to non-payment of an outstanding bill, and then the required amount is paid, the service provider shall restore the electricity service within two hours.
If the service is not restored within the period specified above, the consumer is entitled to an amount of 100 Riyal, in addition to 100 Riyal for each additional or part of an hour.
The period must be calculated from the time the service provider is notified of payment from the payment systems approved by him.
Fourth Guaranteed Standard
Notice of Planned Outage of Electricity Service
When the service provider needs to make a planned outage of an electricity service, he shall send a prior notice to the consumer at least two days before the outage, and the notice must be in accordance with the means of notifying consumers specified in the Guide for Providing Electrical Service.
If the service provider does not comply with this, the consumer is entitled to an amount of 100 Riyal.
Fifth Guaranteed Standard
Duration of the Electricity Service Restoration After the Planned Outage
When the service provider needs to make a planned outage of an electricity service, he shall restore the electricity service as soon as possible, and not later than six hours from the time of the outage.
If the electricity service is not restored during this period, the consumer is entitled to an amount of 200 Riyal, in addition to 50 Riyal for each additional or part of an hour.
The period must be calculated from the beginning of the actual planned outage time.
A consumer is also entitled to compensation for the fourth and fifth standards if he is affected by both of them.
Sixth Guaranteed Standard
Duration of the Electricity Service Restoration After the Emergency (Unplanned) Outage
In the event of an emergency outage of the electricity service to a consumer as a result of a malfunction, as an example, the service provider shall restore the electricity service as soon as possible, and not later than three hours from the time of the outage.
If the electricity service is not restored within the period specified above, the consumer is entitled to an amount of 50 Riyal, in addition to 50 Riyal for each additional or part of an hour.
The period must be calculated from the beginning of the emergency (unplanned) outage time.
Seventh Guaranteed Standard
Duration of the Electricity Service Restoration After Total Blackout
In the event of a total blackout of the electricity system in any city/governorate without restoration of the electricity service within 6 hours for the entire city/governorate, the consumer affected by this outage, whose outage period exceeds 6 hours, is entitled to a financial amount of 1,000 Riyal, so that the total amounts of compensation borne by the service provider for each case of a total blackout in that city/governorate does not exceed 200,000,000 Riyal. In the event that the total amounts of compensation exceed the cap specified for each city/governorate, each eligible consumer must be compensated as follows:
| The amount of compensation for each eligible consumer (whose outage period exceeds 6 hours) (Riyal) = | 200,000,000 |
| ________________ | |
| Total number of eligible consumers in that city/governorate |
The period must be calculated from the beginning of the total blackout time.
In the event that the total blackout is in more than one city/governorate, each city or governorate must be dealt with independently in terms of calculating the compensation cap.
A consumer is entitled to this standard must also be compensated for the sixth standard.
Eighth Guaranteed Standard
Disconnection of the Electricity Service at Prohibited Times and Cases
In the event that a service provider disconnects the electricity service for any meter, and it becomes clear that the service provider carried out one of the following:
1․ Failing to comply with the approved controls and procedures for disconnecting the service—for non-payment—specified in the Guide for Providing Electrical Service.
2․ Disconnecting the service—for non-payment—at the prohibited times and cases specified in the Guide for Providing Electrical Service.
3․ Disconnecting the service—for non-payment—before the date specified for disconnection in the bill.
4․ Disconnecting the service—for any reason—from any meter that is not due for disconnection.
The service provider shall address the situation and restore the electricity service immediately, and he shall compensate the consumer with an amount of 500 Riyal.
Ninth Guaranteed Standard
Duration of Processing of Bills Complaints
When a service provider receives a complaint related to bills, he shall process it and provide a detailed response to the consumer about the result of processing his complaint, within five working days.
If the complaint is not processed within the period specified above, the consumer is entitled to an amount of 100 Riyal, in addition to 50 Riyal for each additional or part of a working day.
The beginning of the period must be calculated from the working day following the day of submitting the complaint.
6․ General provisions
1․ A service provider shall prepare the systems for calculating compensation automatically when any of the guaranteed standards are not complied with, and compensation must be provided automatically to service applicants/consumers without the need to submit a complaint or claim, and not later than ten working days from the date of the end of the case. A consumer must be compensated by adding a balance to the monthly consumption bill or bank transfer to his account.
2․ In the event that the service provider fails to comply with any of the standards specified in this document, and this is for reasons beyond his administrative control, the service provider shall notify the authority within five working days from the date of failure, with full details and justifications attached, and the authority shall decide on that.
3․ In cases that are beyond the administrative control of the service provider, the standards do not apply if the failure of the service provider is not proven in accordance with the determination of the authority and the audit and investigation reports, whether due to government restrictions or due to an external party, or in exceptional events or circumstances that cannot be expected or avoided, such as disasters, widespread fires, lightning, volcanoes, earthquakes, severe weather conditions, such as floods and flash floods that hinder movement, epidemics, and toxic or chemical contamination.
Annex 1
Summary Schedule of Guaranteed Standards
| Guaranteed Standard | Standard | Standard Limit | Financial Compensation in the Event of Failure to Comply with the Standard | Additional Financial Compensation in the Event of Continued Failure |
| 1 | Duration of registration of the meter in the name of the consumer | 3 working days from the working day following the day of submitting the application | 100 Riyal | 20 Riyal for each additional or part of a working day |
| 2 | Duration of the electricity service connection or modification after payment | 20 working days for low voltage, 60 working days for medium voltage or low voltage required for medium voltage work |
400 Riyal | 20 Riyal for each additional or part of a working day |
| 3 | Duration of the electricity service restoration after payment | Two hours from the time the service provider is notified of payment from the payment systems | 100 Riyal | 100 Riyal for each additional or part of an hour |
| 4 | Notice of planned outage of electricity service | Two days before the planned outage | 100 Riyal | —– |
| 5 | Duration of the electricity service restoration after the planned outage | Six hours from the actual planned outage time | 200 Riyal | 50 Riyal for each additional or part of an hour |
| 6 | Duration of the electricity eervice restoration after the emergency (unplanned) outage | Three hours from the outage time | 50 Riyal | 50 Riyal for each additional or part of an hour |
| 7 | Duration of the electricity service restoration after total blackout | Six hours from the outage time | 1,000 Riyal, provided that the total compensation of consumers does not exceed 200,000,000 Riyal | —– |
| 8 | Disconnection of the electricity service at the prohibited times and cases | In accordance with the controls of the Guide for Providing Electrical Service | 500 Riyal | —– |
| 9 | Duration of processing of bills complaints | Five working days from the working day following the day of submitting the complaint | 100 Riyal | 50 Riyal for each additional or part of a working day |
Published in Umm Al-Qura 5096 issued on 11 July 2025.
