New district cooling rules ban summer outages, mandate full refunds

The Saudi Electricity Regulatory Authority has issued the 'District Cooling Service Provision Guide,' published in the Umm Al-Qura Gazette on Friday, outlining consumer rights and service provider obligations.

The guide requires providers to verify sufficient capacity before any new connection, record flow and temperature data, offer 24-hour service, and retain historical data for at least 10 years. Providers must also address complaints and protect consumer data. Consumers, in turn, may only use the service for cooling their own premises and cannot transfer it elsewhere.

New connection requests must be submitted through an engineering consultancy office. Providers must respond within 14 days, and fees are due within 90 days of notification.

Regarding service disconnection, providers may cut service for non-payment 30 days after the due date and after three notifications. Planned maintenance disconnections require 14 days’ notice and are not allowed between June and September. Disconnection for non-payment is prohibited while a formal billing complaint is under review or if tampering is being investigated. Providers must restore service within 12 hours after payment, completion of maintenance, or removal of access obstacles.

Bills may cover no more than 31 days and are due on the 28th of the following month. They are sent electronically or by the consumer’s preferred method. Estimated bills may be issued if meter readings are unavailable, but not more than three times in a row.

In case of billing errors, the provider bears the cost of meter repairs and must fully refund any overcharges. Underpayments can be reclaimed for up to three months, with repayments not exceeding 10% per month. Disconnections are suspended during complaint reviews, and complaints about interrupted service must be resolved within two working days.