An urgent proposal calling on the government to allow the installation of separate electricity and water meters within social housing units – particularly in homes accommodating multiple families – has been unanimously approved by the Northern Municipal Council.
The measure aims to address long-standing challenges faced by extended families or multiple households living under one roof, including billing disputes, accountability issues and unequal consumption burdens.
The proposal will now be formally referred through Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak to the Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Yasser Humaidan for consideration.
Councillor Abdulla Al Qobaisi, who led the initiative, said the move was essential to ensuring fairness and sustainability in family housing.
“Many homes today host more than one family, sometimes three generations living together,” he said. “Having one meter creates confusion and unfairness in bill payment. Separate meters will ensure transparency, reduce disputes and encourage responsible consumption.”
He added that waiting periods for housing could exceed 20 years, forcing many families to share homes out of necessity. “Until families get their own units, the least we can do is give them a fair system that reflects what they actually consume.”
Mr Al Qobaisi said he hoped the ministry would respond promptly.
“This is about fairness, safety and dignity for families. We look forward to a positive outcome.”
Councillor Mohammed Al Dossary welcomed the decision, describing the current single-meter system as ‘a burden on family relations’.
“Imagine a home with two or three families – differing usage habits, different incomes – yet one single bill arrives every month,” he said. “This proposal restores clarity and removes tension. It also empowers each family to manage its own expenses.”
Mr Al Dossary pointed out that modern housing designs already anticipate separate electrical circuits, making the addition of meters technically feasible.
Councillor Abdulla Shareeda Al Thawadi stressed that the proposal would also enhance electrical safety.
“Overloading is a serious issue when several families share a single meter,” he explained. “Separate meters will distribute the load properly and help prevent electrical faults or fire risks. It also allows timely maintenance since each meter can be individually disconnected without affecting the entire home.”
He said the proposal aligns with international best practices where multi-family homes operate with multiple meters for safety and efficiency.
The council’s financial, administrative and legislative committee chairman Councillor Dr Mohsin Abdulla said the move would particularly benefit vulnerable groups, including widows, divorcees and low-income families.
“Today, if one family fails to pay its share, the entire home risks disconnection,” he said. “This is especially unfair for elderly parents living with married children, where the parents end up covering unpaid amounts to keep the electricity on.”
Dr Abdulla added that separating meters would also help the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) clearly identify eligibility for social support, tariff subsidies or special exemptions.
“Currently, subsidies are distorted because consumption of several families is combined. Separate meters create a clearer, more just system.”
He explained that government concerns of citizens renting out parts of their homes to strangers, could be easily overcome, with an agreement signed that the separate meters are only for actual family members – sons or daughters.
In its justification, the council outlined seven key reasons for the policy change:
- Long housing waitlists that force families to live together for more than two decades.
- Fair billing, allowing each household to receive and pay its own utility charges.
- Reducing overload and electrical failures caused by multiple families sharing one connection.
- Facilitating maintenance, with the ability to disconnect one unit at a time.
- Ensuring proper payment collection, preventing all residents from being penalised for one part of the family’s non-payment.
- Protecting social cases such as widows, divorcees and low-income families.
- Supporting senior citizens, particularly when elderly parents live with married children.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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