Court Upholds Payment of BD 5,000 as 11-year Electricity Bill Arrears

Manama: The High Civil Court of Appeal has ruled that an electricity subscriber must pay the outstanding amount of BD 5,000 as bill arrears from 11 years ago. The court rejected the subscriber's claim that the amount was time-barred, stating that the fees charged by the Electricity and Water Authority for providing electricity and water services constitute a price or charge for services, not a fee. As a result, the right to claim these fees does not expire until 15 years have passed.

The court based its decision on Article 365 of the Civil Code, which states that the right to claim payment for services rendered does not lapse except after 15 years. The court noted that the payment received by the plaintiff for electricity and water services is considered a price or fee for those services, not a charge, and is therefore not subject to the five-year statute of limitations.

The case arose from a lawsuit filed by the Electricity and Water Authority against the defendant, who had failed to pay outstanding amounts for electricity and water services for 11 years. The defendant’s lawyer had argued that the claim was time-barred under Article 368 of the Civil Code, which stipulates a five-year statute of limitations for claims related to taxes and fees owed to the state. The court rejected this argument, stating that the fees charged by the Electricity and Water Authority are not taxes or fees, but rather prices for services rendered. The court concluded that the defendant was liable for the claimed debt and ordered her to pay the plaintiff 5,000 dinars, as well as court costs and attorney's fees.