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[Cyprus4MeSoon]

Hi, This question is on behalf of my sister who has bought a property in Giolou(Yiolou).
Her house was supposed to be finished 5 months ago, but they still have no electricity, they have been given many excuses from the developer as to why it has not been done, earlier in the year it was down to the weather, then strikes by the electricity company etc.

Now she has a letter from her solicitor stating the following:
1) Electricity. We have been told by the Developer that the mains electricity is not yet connected. Apparently he said that 2-3 owners did not give consent and the matter is now with the District Office. So that you can understand what this means I will analyse the process below:

An application for electricity is made for a new property. If the property is within the existing network covered by the Electricity Authority (EAC) then this is ok things will be done they will follow their processes etc. However, when a plot is not within the existing covered network, this means that the network has to be enlarged to include that plot.

In order to enlarge the network the EAC need consent from the relevant owners of land as new electricity posts will have to be put in place. If they do not have these consents they then forward the application to the District Office to get the missing consents by compulsion.

The District office require 15-20 days to process the compulsory consents and then the file goes back to the EAC to carry on with the connection process.

2) The Developer has said that if you like he can get you on temporary supply.

Has anybody else suffered this problem? She is due to move out on the 15 August, would it be realistic to think that the electricity(not temporary) will be connected by this date?
Here in the UK if people oppose such things, it takes ages to sort out. Is it normal in Cyprus to get consents by compulsion? I don't really understand this, why bother to ask for consent if you are going to over ride it!!!!!

[mountainman]

This is not an unusual situation, on the site I am doing some work the first phase residents have only just been switched over from a temporary supply to a permanent supply; this has taken nine months.

[Cyprus4MeSoon]

This is not an unusual situation, on the site I am doing some work the first phase residents have only just been switched over from a temporary supply to a permanent supply; this has taken nine months.

Hi mountainman,
So was this because of people not consenting to the poles being put up, or just because it takes ages for the Electricity to get round to doing it?
Nine months that's a long time, especially as my sisters developer has said that on temporary supply, she would only get basic electricity, which would mean no Air-con!!!! The residents where you are working, must have been boiling with all the hot weather you have been having in Cyprus

[ukman]

the electric will be free on temp supply .and my mates been on it for 2 years in kissonega.aircon and all.the builder pays so he dont want you to use aircon ,but it will work .welcome to cyprus

[cyprusgrump]

This happens all the time here – you should never, ever buy a property that doesn’t have electricity available at the time. People can wait years to get the electricity connected.

Unfortunately, the temporary supply while free may not be of a very good quality depending on where the cable comes from and they may find that each time they switch the kettle or oven on the supply kicks out and they have to walk up the road to reset it.

When I first came to Cyprus just over five years ago I was very close to buying a beautiful plot in Pissouri with no electricity. The vendor assured me that it would be ‘no problem’ and it would be connected by the time the house was finished. Luckily, another Cypriot building on his family plot next door told me the truth about the situation (pretty much as you have described it). The cost of getting power to the plot was apparently £50,000 and none of the land owners were prepared to share it – proffering instead to wait until somebody else paid for it.

Well, we’ve been here five years now and the power has only just been connected…

[Cyprus4MeSoon]

the electric will be free on temp supply .and my mates been on it for 2 years in kissonega.aircon and all.the builder pays so he dont want you to use aircon ,but it will work .welcome to cyprus

Thank you, I will let my sister know!

[Cyprus4MeSoon]

This happens all the time here – you should never, ever buy a property that doesn’t have electricity available at the time. People can wait years to get the electricity connected.

Unfortunately, the temporary supply while free may not be of a very good quality depending on where the cable comes from and they may find that each time they switch the kettle or oven on the supply kicks out and they have to walk up the road to reset it.

When I first came to Cyprus just over five years ago I was very close to buying a beautiful plot in Pissouri with no electricity. The vendor assured me that it would be ‘no problem’ and it would be connected by the time the house was finished. Luckily, another Cypriot building on his family plot next door told me the truth about the situation (pretty much as you have described it). The cost of getting power to the plot was apparently £50,000 and none of the land owners were prepared to share it – proffering instead to wait until somebody else paid for it.

Well, we’ve been here five years now and the power has only just been connected…

Hi cyprusgrump,
Thank you for the information, I will pass it onto my sister, who I am sure will be happy about this!!!!! I think we can safely say, that she will not have proper connection by the 15th August then!
Do we assume then that where the solicitor says that consent has not been given by 2-3 owners, it actually means that they don't want to pay anything towards it?? I am still getting confused with the part that says " application to the District Office to get missing consents by compulsion"

From what you have said, I am so glad that we have chosen a plot where electricity is available. We also looked at plots that didn't and was told like you that there would be no problem, but decided not to go ahead because of my sisters problems, though at the time we did not know the reasons why!

[nhowarth]

I am still getting confused with the part that says " application to the District Office to get missing consents by compulsion"

Even though the owners of the land can refuse permission to have electricity poles erected, the EAC can get a compulsory order for the poles to be erected from the District Office.

This takes around a year or so.

Regards,

[Svetlana]

Nigel

What is the position on getting Building Permits/Planing Permissons without an electrical supply?

Lana

[nhowarth]

Hi Lana,

It's actually the other way around. You can't get a property connected to the mains supply without a valid building permit.

You can get planning & building permits without having a supply of electricity to the site - that's no problem. To get electricity, you have to take the permits to the EAC - they will survey and work out the costs (around 600 - 800/pole I believe) - write to the land owners on whose land the poles will be erected - and eventually undertake the work.

I know Paphos is very busy - some friends of mine in Choletria have been waiting 3 years. Everything is set to go - they've even paid EAC for the work to be done, but there's a backlog due to the amount of unfettered development in Paphos District.

Regards,