Kahramaa - Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation
Qatar's sole electricity and water utility. Kahramaa's km.qa portal and mobile app handle new connections, bill payment, meter readings, clearance certificates and the Tarsheed conservation programme.
On this page
Launched
Kahramaa 2000; e-portal cycle update {year}
Operator
Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation
Cost
Free app; QAR 2,000 standard residential connection deposit
Languages
Arabic, English
Overview
Kahramaa is Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation, the sole utility for electricity and water across the country. By {year} it operates the generation, transmission and distribution networks, runs the consumer billing system, manages the connection regime for new villas, apartments and commercial premises, and runs Tarsheed - Qatar's national conservation programme that targets a substantial cut in per-capita water and electricity demand. The patient-facing channels are the km.qa web portal, the Kahramaa mobile app on iOS and Android, the Customer Service Centres around Doha and Al Khor, and the unified contact number for fault reporting and emergency. Bill payments are the highest-volume routine action; new connections and account closures are the highest-stakes ones because they gate moving into and out of a property.
Connection setup for a new villa or apartment runs through a defined sequence and Kahramaa is the last step. The Ashghal asset-protection clearance for the road-side and any utility crossings is needed first, then the Civil Defence certificate confirming fire-safety compliance of the building, then the municipal completion certificate confirming construction is to plan, then the Kahramaa connection itself. A refundable deposit of QAR 2,000 covers both electricity and water for a typical residential meter; activation is typically 48 hours after the file is complete. Commercial and industrial connections follow a heavier process with technical reviews of load calculations and submission of single-line diagrams. The {year} cycle continued the migration of the connection workflow into the e-portal, reducing the counter visits required from typically four under the legacy system to one or zero.
Billing follows a monthly cycle. Each property gets a single combined electricity and water bill addressed to the registered account holder. Tariffs are tiered with a free band for citizens that does not apply to expatriate residents and commercial customers; expats pay from the first unit at the residential rate, which is still subsidised compared to regional averages. The bill is payable through the app, the website, Ooredoo self-service kiosks, QPay, QNB ATMs, bank apps and at any Customer Service Centre. Late payment triggers a series of reminders followed by disconnection - the legal authority for disconnection is short and Kahramaa does enforce it. The most common reason expat residents end up disconnected is that the bill went to the previous tenant's email or the registered email was a personal account no longer monitored after a job change.
Account closure on departure is the step expats most often skip, and it is the one that causes most downstream trouble. When the resident leaves the property, the final meter reading has to be submitted through the app or by visiting the property with a Kahramaa technician, the final bill paid, and a clearance certificate issued. Without the clearance certificate, the QAR 2,000 deposit is not refunded, the next tenant may inherit unpaid charges, and most critically the resident's QID can pick up a sponsor-side block that surfaces at the airport on exit. Kahramaa runs an outgoing-tenant flow specifically for this case but it is often overlooked when residents leave Qatar in a rush. The {year} app added a 'leaving Qatar' wizard that guides through the closure steps including final meter reading and clearance request.
Kahramaa's interaction with the rest of Qatar government is built around the property and the resident. Ashghal provides the asset-protection clearance that is a precondition for the new connection. The Ministry of Municipality provides the completion certificate. MOI can place an exit block if the Kahramaa final bill is unpaid at departure. The Hukoomi single window catalogues the utility connection and closure as a cross-ministry workflow with the property-side documents. For tenants the relationship to the landlord matters because the meter is typically registered against the landlord's QID with the tenant added as a beneficiary; this affects who is liable for the bill and who receives the deposit refund. Disputed bills follow the Kahramaa dispute process and can ultimately reach the Consumer Protection Department.
What broke and what changed in {year}: the app added the 'leaving Qatar' wizard for outgoing-tenant flow; QPay is the preferred payment route with the residual ATM and counter payments still accepted; the Tarsheed programme launched the Smart Home initiative that gives consumption alerts when a household's daily usage spikes above the trailing 30-day average, which has reduced sudden bill shocks for residents on vacation when an AC was left on; commercial customers got a new energy-audit voucher track that subsidises the cost of an authorised energy audit and ties findings into tariff incentives; the deposit refund processing time was officially cut from 30 days to 15 days for clean closures. Faults and outages are reported through the same app or by calling 991; restoration time depends on severity and location and is published in the app's outage map.
For landlords with multiple properties the portal supports a property portfolio view where each meter is listed with its current tenant, bill status and outstanding balance. This is the practical control point for real-estate companies and individual landlords managing tenancy transitions. For corporate tenants and large commercial customers the account can be opened against the establishment's Computer Card with multiple authorised signatories. For embassies and diplomatic missions a separate diplomatic-tariff regime applies. For Tarsheed conservation rewards, residential customers can apply for the smart-meter upgrade and receive consumption analytics in the app; the upgrade is free but the queue runs months in some districts. See our Qatar country guide for the broader resident lifecycle including utilities.
Services offered
Bill Payment
Pay monthly electricity and water bill through the Kahramaa app, km.qa, QPay, Ooredoo kiosks, QNB ATMs, bank apps or at any Customer Service Centre. Late payment triggers reminders followed by disconnection; the legal disconnection authority is short and is enforced.
New Connection (Residential)
Apply for electricity and water connection for a new villa or apartment. Refundable deposit QAR 2,000 covers both. Activation typically 48 hours after Ashghal clearance, Civil Defence certificate and municipal completion certificate are uploaded. Single online application replaces the legacy multi-counter visit.
Account Closure and Clearance Certificate
Outgoing-tenant flow for leaving the property: final meter reading, final bill payment, deposit refund and clearance certificate. The {year} 'leaving Qatar' wizard in the app walks through the steps. Without the clearance, the QAR 2,000 deposit is not refunded and an MOI exit block can be placed.
Meter Reading Submission
Submit meter reading through the app for properties that are not on automated meter reading. Self-reading is the alternative to the meter reader visit; an unsubmitted reading triggers an estimated bill that often runs higher than actual.
E-bill and Email Update
Manage e-bill delivery email and SMS preferences. Update to a personal monitored email after a job change is the single most common fix for unexpected disconnection - the legacy email goes dark and the bill is missed.
Service Status Tracking
Track new connection applications, account closures, dispute filings and fault tickets by reference number through the app and web portal.
Tarsheed Conservation Programme
Smart Home consumption alerts when daily usage spikes above the 30-day trailing average. Tariff incentives for residential customers who reduce consumption. Energy audit voucher for commercial customers. Smart-meter upgrade application (free) for residential customers; queue varies by district.
Fault Reporting and Outage Map
Report faults through the app or by calling 991. Outage map in the app shows live outages and estimated restoration time. Severity and location control restoration priority.
How to access Kahramaa
- 1
Install Kahramaa app and register with QID
Download Kahramaa from the App Store or Google Play. Register with QID through Tawtheeq (QID + Qatari SIM OTP). For corporate users, authenticate with Computer Card. First-time registration binds the app to the active utility accounts under your QID.
- 2
Verify property linkage and email delivery
Confirm the right property is linked to your account and the e-bill delivery email is a personal monitored address (not a work email that will go dark on job change). This single step prevents the majority of unexpected disconnections.
- 3
Pay monthly bills before the deadline
Pay through the app at any time; QPay is integrated and immediate. The bill cycle is monthly and the payment window typically runs three weeks. Late payment triggers SMS reminders followed by disconnection within a short window.
- 4
Submit meter readings if not on automated meter reading
Self-submit monthly through the app or via the meter-reader visit. Unsubmitted readings produce estimated bills that often run higher than actual; a year of estimates then trues up sharply when a real reading is finally taken.
- 5
Use the 'leaving Qatar' wizard when departing
Open Kahramaa's 'leaving Qatar' wizard before moving out. Submit final meter reading, pay final bill, request deposit refund and clearance certificate. The clearance is what prevents an MOI exit block at departure and what releases the QAR 2,000 deposit refund.
Troubleshooting
The errors residents hit most often on Kahramaa, and the fix that works.
Pay outstanding balance plus reconnection fee through the app or at a Customer Service Centre. Reconnection typically same-day after payment is confirmed. Update the e-bill delivery email to a personal monitored address to prevent recurrence.
Confirm the clearance certificate was issued. Without the clearance, the deposit is held. If clearance is issued and refund has not arrived within 15 working days, open a follow-up ticket on the closure reference number.
Upload the missing upstream document - typically Ashghal asset-protection clearance, Civil Defence certificate or municipal completion certificate. Kahramaa cannot activate without the full file.
Submit a self-read meter reading through the app to true up. A year of estimates trues up sharply when a real reading is taken; monthly self-submission avoids the surprise.
AC is likely running. Switch off remotely if you have smart home control, or ask a friend or neighbour with key access to switch the unit off. The Tarsheed alert is designed exactly for this case and has saved many residents a large unexpected bill.
QPay accepts Qatari and many international cards but some foreign cards decline at the 3D Secure step. Use a Qatari card or alternative payment route (QNB ATM, Ooredoo kiosk, bank app).
Frequently asked questions
Pay through the Kahramaa app or km.qa using QPay (immediate), at Ooredoo self-service kiosks, at QNB ATMs, through bank apps, or at any Kahramaa Customer Service Centre. The app is the most convenient. The bill cycle is monthly and the payment window typically runs three weeks; late payment triggers SMS reminders followed by disconnection within a short window.
The standard refundable deposit is QAR 2,000 covering both electricity and water for a typical residential meter. Larger residential properties and commercial premises may have higher deposits based on load. The deposit refunds at clean account closure within 15 days from the {year} cycle (cut from 30 days previously).
Typically 48 hours after the file is complete - meaning Ashghal asset-protection clearance, Civil Defence certificate and municipal completion certificate all uploaded. The activation itself is fast; the upstream document chain is what controls overall timing. Submit the connection application in parallel with the final stages of the upstream documents to compress the timeline.
The deposit is not refunded, the next tenant inherits the meter with potentially unpaid charges, and most critically an MOI exit block can be placed for the unpaid balance which surfaces at the airport on next entry or exit. The {year} app added a 'leaving Qatar' wizard that walks through final meter reading, final bill payment, deposit refund and clearance certificate request. Run the wizard before moving out.
Common reasons in {year}: estimated bills for many months trued up by a real reading, AC left running while away (Tarsheed Smart Home alert is designed to catch this), a water leak that the household has not noticed (Kahramaa flags abnormally high water consumption), tariff tier crossed because of consumption growth, or the property added an appliance with a high load. Open the consumption analytics in the app to see the trend; submit a dispute ticket if the reading does not match the household pattern.
Open the Kahramaa app, go to 'My Account', tap 'Communication Preferences', update the e-bill delivery email and SMS number. Use a personal monitored email not a work address - work emails go dark on job change and the bill is then missed, which is the single most common cause of unexpected disconnection in Qatar.
Yes through the landlord-driven transfer flow. The current account holder closes the account (final meter reading, final bill payment, clearance certificate), the new tenant opens a fresh account with their QID at the same meter, and the deposit is either refunded to the outgoing tenant or transferred to the new tenant per the lease agreement. The landlord typically coordinates because the meter is registered against the landlord's QID with the tenant added as a beneficiary.
Open a dispute ticket through the app or at a Customer Service Centre before paying. Payment is treated as acceptance of the bill; once paid the dispute has to chase a refund instead of withholding payment pending review. The dispute process reviews the meter reading against the property pattern, may dispatch a meter inspector, and resolves typically within 10 to 20 working days. Unresolved disputes can be escalated to the Consumer Protection Department.
Tarsheed is Qatar's national water and electricity conservation programme run by Kahramaa. For residential customers it includes Smart Home consumption alerts (daily usage spike above 30-day trailing average), tariff incentives for reduced consumption, free smart-meter upgrade (queue varies by district), and educational materials on conservation. For commercial customers it includes the energy audit voucher that subsidises the cost of an authorised audit and ties findings into tariff incentives.
Yes. Citizens get a free band on residential electricity and water that does not apply to expatriate residents and commercial customers. Expats pay from the first unit at the residential rate, which is still subsidised compared to regional averages. The tariff schedule with current rates is published on km.qa.
Call 991 (Kahramaa emergency) or open a fault ticket in the app. Confirm the outage is not internal to your building (check the breaker panel and ask the building's facility manager). Kahramaa only responds to faults on its side of the meter. The outage map in the app shows live outages and estimated restoration time.
Yes for residential customers under the Tarsheed Smart Home initiative. Apply through the app. The smart meter is free but the queue runs months in some districts. After upgrade, the app shows consumption analytics and daily spike alerts that reduce bill shocks especially for residents who go on holiday and leave AC running.
The Civil Defence certificate confirms that the building meets fire-safety standards. It is a precondition for Kahramaa connection because the utility activation increases the building's electrical load. Issued by the MOI's General Directorate of Civil Defence after inspection. The Ashghal asset-protection clearance and municipal completion certificate are the other two upstream documents typically needed before Kahramaa activates.
Yes if the meter is registered against the landlord's QID. The bill goes to the landlord and the landlord pays. If the meter is registered against the tenant's QID with the landlord as property owner, the tenant pays directly and the deposit refunds to the tenant at closure. Lease agreements typically specify the arrangement; clarify before moving in to avoid disputes.
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Walkthroughs that use Kahramaa
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