The ‘e-Residence Card’ and cheaper household energy bills.

Whether as an owner-occupier or a tenant, those non-Maltese EU citizens in possession of an ‘e-Residence Card' as well as Third Country Nationals with Long-Term Residence status are eligible for the much lower, ‘residential' water and electricity consumption tariffs - according to ARMS Ltd. regulations.

Please note that:

A) The ‘domestic' electricity consumption tariff is 30% more expensive than the 'residential' one. 

B) The ‘domestic' water consumption tariff at least 56% more expensive than the 'residential' one. 

C) Unlike the ‘residential' scheme, eco-reductions are not applied to the ‘domestic' electricity consumption tariff.

D) Unlike the ‘residential' scheme, one-off energy allowance cheques are not payable in respect of the ‘domestic' water and electricity consumption tariff.

In order to convert from ‘domestic' to ‘residential' water and electricity energy consumption tariffs, one must register the correct number of household occupants with ARMS Ltd.

To do this, one needs to download, print, fill in and submit a ‘change in number of persons declaration' form as well as any other requisite documentation (specified at the bottom of the form) to ARMS Ltd.

If you live in rented accommodation and are liable for energy bills issued in your landlord's name, his / her signature (as account holder) and certain personal details are also required, but only in order to endorse the ‘change in number of persons declaration' - to include all household occupants, that is, adults, minors and infants - a simple formality.

You are also required to include a photocopy of both sides of your landlord's (account holder's) identity card. 

Please note that this procedure does not denote signing over the meters or the water and electricity account from the landlord to the tenant/s, nor significantly, does it entail the payment of any deposit by the household occupant/tenant or the landlord.

Once you have submitted this form and requisite documentation to ARMS Ltd, ensure you receive either a receipt or written confirmation of its receipt - via e-mail - from them within 24 hours.

Otherwise they are likely to claim to have 'lost' / 'mislaid' your documentation when you receive your next water and electricity bill.

In this regard, you may wish to write to Sean Barbara - Policy and Strategy manager of ARMS Ltd, at: [email protected]
   
In this connection, your attention is drawn to section D - Documentation - on the ‘Change in number of persons declaration' - which can be accessed by clicking on the internet link reproduced at the foot of this posting.

Should you experience any difficulties in this regard, I recommend you follow these guidelines:

1) Contact the Class Action Against ARMS LTD co-ordinator and spokesperson, Patricia Graham, at: [email protected]

2) If you are an owner-occupier, join the Facebook Group which specializes in this issue:

Class Action Against ARMS LTD

facebook.com/groups/371466666251933/

3) If you are a tenant, join the Facebook Group –

Up in Arms, Malta

facebook.com/groups/315158645273449/

4) File a petition with The European Parliament Committee on Petitions online in any of the official languages of the European Union. .

Simply click on this internet link to do so:

https://www.secure.europarl.europa.eu/a … ition.html

See section D - Documentation - on the ‘Change in number of persons declaration' - which can be accessed by clicking on this internet link:

https://www.smartutilities.com.mt/wps/w … OD=AJPERES