How do you transfer electricity to a new owner in Montenegro? You file a request with EPCG to change the customer's name, with the title extract and, where needed, the purchase contract and the certified consent of co-owners. If you do not provide the extract, an employee establishes ownership by checking the electronic cadastre records.
The purchase contract is signed, but the electricity and water bills still arrive in the previous owner's name. Local searches show that people ask about this: "promjena vlasnika brojila" (change of meter owner) is followed by "za struju" (for electricity), "za vodu" (for water) and "epcg", and people also look for "promjena vlasnika električnog brojila" (change of owner of an electricity meter).
This article explains which documents EPCG asks for to change the name of the electricity customer, what Vodovod i kanalizacija Podgorica asks for, what applies to inheritance and gifts, who is liable for old debt and what is reported to the building manager.
First: registration and a meter reading record
You become the owner of a flat on registration in the cadastre; how that works after the notary contract is explained in our article on the notary purchase contract. On the day of handover it helps to draw up with the seller a record of the electricity and water meter readings with photographs, signed by both parties. That makes it clear which consumption belongs to whom.
Electricity: changing the customer's name at EPCG
According to EPCG's instructions, for a purchase you attach:
| Document | Note |
| A completed request to change the customer's name | EPCG's form |
| Title extract (list nepokretnosti) | If you do not provide it, an employee establishes ownership by checking the electronic records of the Real Estate Administration on the day of the decision |
| The property purchase contract | If a financial separation of obligations for electricity supplied at that metering point is needed |
| Statement by the other co-owners | If the property has several co-owners: their consent to the applicant being registered as the customer, certified by the competent authority |
| CRPS extract, registration decision and deposited signatures card | Only for legal entities |
How to read a title extract is explained in our article on the title extract.
Inheritance, gift and lifelong maintenance
If you inherited or were given the flat, EPCG asks, together with the request and the title extract, for the inheritance decision, the gift contract or the lifelong maintenance contract, and in the case of co-ownership also the certified consent of the other co-owners. EPCG also states that by inheriting or accepting a gift the new owner takes on all rights and obligations, including the financial obligations for electricity consumed. How probate works is explained in our article on inheritance and probate.
Water: the example of Vodovod i kanalizacija Podgorica
For water, the request is filed with the local water utility. In Podgorica the request to change the name of the service user is accompanied by:
- the purchase contract, title extract, gift contract, lease contract or a decision allocating housing for use;
- the consumer card in the previous owner's name with obligations for water consumption duly paid up to the filing of the request;
- a photocopy of the applicant's ID card.
The request also states the number of household members, and you can enter an email address to receive bills. In other municipalities, check the procedure with the local water utility.
Who is liable for old debt
- Water in Podgorica. The name change requires a consumer card with obligations paid up to the filing of the request, so the previous owner's debt must be settled before the change.
- Electricity after inheritance and gifts. According to EPCG, the new owner also takes on the financial obligations for electricity consumed.
- Electricity after a purchase. EPCG asks for the purchase contract when obligations need to be separated, so the contract should state clearly up to which day the seller bears the obligations.
The building: manager and joint account
Under the Law on the Maintenance of Residential Buildings, unit owners must report every change in the disposal of their unit to the owners' assembly or the building manager. A unit owner who has sold their flat has no right to claim back money from the building's joint account, and the bill for the maintenance amount is an enforceable document. So before buying, ask the manager whether there are unpaid maintenance amounts for the flat; the manager's role is explained in our article on the building manager and unit owners.
Property tax is a separate obligation of the owner; how it is calculated is explained in our article on property tax.
Short checklist after buying
| Step | To whom |
| Meter reading record with photographs | Seller and buyer, on the day of handover |
| Request to change the electricity customer's name | EPCG |
| Request to change the name of the service user | The local water utility |
| Notice of the change of owner | The building manager or owners' assembly |
| Check for unpaid maintenance amounts | The building manager |
You can find flats to buy and rent in our real estate category.
Frequently asked questions
Which documents does EPCG ask for to change the meter owner? A completed request, the title extract, the purchase contract if obligations need to be separated and the certified statement of the other co-owners if there are any. Legal entities also attach a CRPS extract, the registration decision and a deposited signatures card.
How do you change the owner of a water meter in Podgorica? By a request to Vodovod i kanalizacija Podgorica with the purchase contract or title extract, the previous owner's consumer card with obligations paid and a photocopy of your ID card.
Who pays the previous owner's electricity debt? After inheritance and gifts, according to EPCG, the new owner also takes on the financial obligations for electricity consumed. After a purchase, EPCG asks for the purchase contract to separate the obligations, so the contract should clearly set the day up to which the seller bears them.
Do I have to report the change of owner to the building manager? Yes. Unit owners must report every change in the disposal of their flat to the owners' assembly or the building manager.
Can I get money back from the building's joint account when I sell? No. A unit owner who has sold their flat has no right to claim back money from the joint account.
Sources
The documents for changing the name of the electricity customer are listed by EPCG in its frequently asked questions (section "Promjena imena kupca"), and for changing the name of the service user by the form of Vodovod i kanalizacija Podgorica (Ob.P.21-003/v2). Notice to the manager, the joint account and the enforceability of the maintenance bill are governed by the Law on the Maintenance of Residential Buildings (Official Gazette of Montenegro 41/2016 and 84/2018, articles 16, 17 and 23). Fijaka is a listings platform and does not give legal advice; for a specific case, contact the supplier, the water utility or the building manager.