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Electricity and water are both supplied by Kahramaa, the Qatar Electricity and Water Corporation. TipIf you are renting accommodation, check to see if electricity and water are already connected before you move in. Setting upTo set up an account with Kahramaa you need an application form, a copy of the contract for the house, a copy of your ID, your phone number, PO Box number and the reference number for electricity and water (usually found above an outside door). These are normally found on the wall outside your residence; if not, it will be supplied by your landlord. You'll also need to leave a fairly large deposit! BillingUntil the first meter reading, your bill will be estimated, and will probably be undershoot the actual usage. Bills may also be sent out erratically, and may be incorrect. (One Qatari lady was sent a bill for thousands of riyals - quite surprising when Qataris get the service for free!) To be safe, check the meter yourself to avoid unpleasant shocks. You can pay your bill online at the Kahramaa website, by automatic bank bill payment, by phone or at the post office.
Contact
In addition to the contact details here, there are a number of service centers which you can contact. Tel: +974 44 845 555/ +974 44 845 484
Watch Out!In the summer months your AC will consume huge amounts of electricity. Turn off the AC when leaving the house or when it is not needed, or in areas of the house which you are not using. Paying Your BillYou can check your bill here: kahramaa.com You can also pay at certain banks, by telephone (44 651 100), at Q-post or at one of Karamaa's service centres. ElectricityThe electrical system is similar to that of the UK with a voltage of 200 240. American devices can not normally be used in Qatar, although laptops should adjust automatically. Sockets take three pronged plugs, although most of the devices sold in Qatar come with two pronged plugs. Water Quality
The majority of people prefer to drink water from bottles. You can buy water very cheaply from the supermarkets, have five gallon bottles delivered from the local shop or organise a regular delivery with a company. You can also purchase a dispenser which will provide you with continuous hot and cold water. Never-the-less, the desalinated water provided to houses is actually of a very high quality, with fluoride and minerals carefully added back to it. We've been told that it is in fact of a higher quality than the drinking water sold in the shops. However, it is worth getting a filter to clean out any dirt that may have entered the water in the pipes. Don't accept filters from door to door sales people, as these can do more harm than good. Instead buy a branded filter - the Panasonic filter comes highly recommended. Water suppliersAl Manhal Tel: 44 603 332, 44 602720 GasPerhaps surprisingly for a country with the third largest gas reserves in the world, there is no system of gas pipes. Instead, you have to pick up gas in containers. (You can also have it delivered.) Gas SuppliersAhmed Al Rayes 44 651 555 Kahramma centres:Al-Khor service centre SewerageMost houses are connected to the sewerage system, and those which are not will have septic tanks. Septic Tanks CleanersAl Afaf Group 44 311 409 / 44 351 803
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