Electricity Cost in Thailand 2026: Price per Unit, Condo Bills and Aircon Costs

How much is one unit of electricity in Thailand?

One "unit" on a Thai bill is one kilowatt-hour (kWh). There's no single price per unit, because household tariffs are tiered: the more you use in a month, the more each extra unit costs.

For bills from September 2026, using the Ft charge for September–December 2026, the cost per unit once the Ft charge and 7% VAT are added is:

This table shows the standard residential class used in the worked example. The applicable class appears on the bill and can depend on eligibility and usage history, not just this month’s units. Check the MEA or PEA bill for your class and charges.

What's on the bill

A Thai household electricity bill has four parts, with 7% VAT added on top:

Energy charge: units charged tier by tier, as in the table above.

Ft charge: a fuel adjustment of 0.1623 THB per unit for September–December 2026. It's reviewed every four months.

Monthly service charge: 24.62 THB for the residential class used in this example.

VAT: 7% on the total of the three above.

Example, 350 units in a month:

That works out to an average of about 3.99 THB per unit.

Why your condo or apartment bill may be higher

If the account is with MEA or PEA, check the utility bill and who is responsible for paying it. If a building or landlord rebills from a sub-meter, ask for the itemised charge and its basis; do not assume a stated flat rate is automatically permitted.

Compare the utility account, itemised charge and written contract. Rental-contract rules can vary by the type of rental business. Before signing, ask:

Is the meter in the owner's name with MEA/PEA, or does the building rebill?

If it rebills, what tariff or calculation is used, what charges appear on the itemised bill, and what does the written contract say?

If you're billed directly in the owner's name in Bangkok, the MEA Smart Life app shows your meter readings and bill history. PEA has its own app for the rest of the country.

What does running an aircon cost?

The calculator uses: watts × hours per day × % of time the compressor runs ÷ 1,000 = kWh per day.

Flat-rate illustration: an aircon drawing 1,000 W, running 8 hours a night, with the compressor working 70% of that time:

1,000 × 8 × 0.70 ÷ 1,000 = 5.6 kWh per day

× 30 days = 168 kWh per month

These are flat-rate illustrations: 168 extra units may cross bill tiers, and a third-party rebilling charge needs its own basis. Use watts from the unit’s label or spec sheet; BTU is cooling output, not electricity used.

Ways to cut the cost

Raise the temperature: set the aircon to 26–27°C and use a fan alongside it.

Keep it serviced: clean the filters every few weeks, and have the unit professionally serviced, often recommended about every six months in Thai conditions.

Block the sun: close curtains on sun-facing windows in the afternoon.

When replacing a unit, compare inverter models and their energy labels.

FAQ

Is it 3 baht per unit now? Only the first 200 units each month are charged at 3.00 THB before Ft and VAT. Anything above that costs more, and the total bill includes Ft, the service charge and VAT.

Will these numbers change? Yes. The Ft charge is reviewed every four months, and this guide will be rechecked in January 2027.