European expats who have been overcharged for water and electricity can finally file for a refund from the utilities billing company ARMS.

However, this does not solve the problem of tenants whose landlords refuse to register them on their properties as the account-holders, according to a lobby group.

In 2012, the Up in Arms lobby group started demanding equal treatment because EU nationals were being charged more than their Maltese neighbours for utility bills through ARMS’ two-tier pricing system.

The following year, the lobby group was told that passports, old ‘A’ identity cards and the new e-residence card would be accepted as proof that foreigners were entitled to pay cheaper residential utility rates at their primary residence. Previously, not all of these documents were accepted by ARMS.

However, some expats who rent their home are still paying almost double for water and electricity consumption because they are charged ‘domestic’ instead of ‘residential’ rates.

The reason tenants are in this predicament is because landlords often do not endorse form H provided by ARMS, without which they are not able to avail themselves of a residential tariff.

Up in Arms spokeswoman Patricia Graham explained that only the people whose names appeared on the bill would be able to ask ARMS to consider a refund.

Some expats who rent are still paying almost double

The new form H1, called Application for Redress, is to be completed by account-holders who believe they are entitled to a refund.

Asked whether expats could file this new H1 form themselves or if they still had to do it through their landlord, a spokeswoman said that legally ARMS must discuss the status of specific accounts solely with the account-holder.

An account-holder can be a foreigner or Maltese, expat or local, tenant or property owner.

The spokeswoman said redress was being made available to account-holders occupying residential property under any title, including lease.

“The form H1 must be submitted by the account-holder who has contracted the service. There is no impediment, whether legislative or administrative, for accounts to be transferred from one account-holder to another new account-holder.

“Tenants are indeed recognised by ARMS as new account-holders as a matter of normal administrative practice, clearly subject to the consent of the outgoing account-holder.”

The spokesman said ARMS was committed to examining each application for redress made by EU citizens on its merits and any change in tariff would be back-dated.