Should I pay my generator by meter or a flat ampere rate, and is a meter mandatory?
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Short answer
A meter is mandatory under a Ministry of Economy and Trade decision[1,2], so ask for metered billing. The official tariff charges a fixed monthly part by amperage plus a price per kWh[1]. The National reported in October 2026 that many operators charge a flat ampere rate instead[2]. With a meter, you can check the bill yourself.
Also asked as: “generator meter or flat rate Lebanon” · “Is a generator meter mandatory in Lebanon?” · “Generator ampere flat rate vs meter” · “Can my generator owner refuse to install a meter?”
Key facts
- Price per kWh, September 2026
- LL52,840 per kWh (cities, below 700 m); LL58,124 (villages, above 700 m)[1,3]
- Fixed monthly part, September 2026
- LL385,000 (5 A), LL685,000 (10 A), +LL300,000 per extra 5 A[1]
- Not allowed on top of the tariff
- no unregistered VAT, maintenance fees or solar surcharges[1]
- Tariff trend (The National, October 2026)
- tariffs up almost 60% in six months[2]
- Who sets the tariff
- The Ministry of Energy and Water, each month[1]
- Common practice
- A flat monthly rate by amperage, without a meter (The National, October 2026)[2]
How the official metered tariff works
Private generators supply more of Lebanon's electricity than the state grid: according to LCEC figures reported by The National in October 2026, the split was generators 50%, EDL 31% (early 2026)[2]. The Ministry of Energy and Water sets a guideline generator price every month. It works the price out from that month's average cost of a 20-litre container of diesel and the average parallel-market dollar rate, under Council of Ministers Decision No. 2 of 14/12/2011[1].
The tariff has two parts. The first is a fixed monthly sum that depends on your amperage: LL385,000 (5 A), LL685,000 (10 A), +LL300,000 per extra 5 A[1] in September 2026, the same in cities and villages. By that rule, 15 A would carry a fixed part of LL985,000; that figure is our arithmetic, not the notice's. The second part is the kWh you used, multiplied by the month's price: LL52,840 per kWh (cities, below 700 m); LL58,124 (villages, above 700 m)[1,3]. At LL89,700 per USD, LL52,840 comes to about USD 0.59 per kWh, again by our arithmetic.
The same notice bars operators from adding unregistered VAT, maintenance or network fees, or extra charges for subscribers who also use solar[1]. For the latest figures, see this month's generator tariff.
Meter or flat rate: how they compare
On a flat rate, you pay a fixed sum each month for your amperage, and the amperage sets how many appliances you can run at the same time[2]. The official tariff is metered, so a flat ampere rate departs from it.
| Metered | Flat ampere rate | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay | Fixed part plus kWh used × the month's price | One fixed sum for your amperage |
| Matches the ministry's tariff | Yes, the tariff is built this way | No, the tariff has no flat-rate price |
| Can you check the bill yourself | Yes: read the meter and do the sum | Not against the tariff, because no kWh are recorded |
| If you use little (flat empty, solar, you are abroad) | You pay the fixed part and little else | You pay the same as in a heavy month |
For what bills look like in practice, see what a 5, 10 or 15 amp subscription costs and the total monthly electricity cost.
Is the meter rule enforced?
Often not. The National reported in October 2026 that many operators ignore the ministry's tariffs or never install the mandatory meters, and that tariffs had risen almost 60% in six months[2]. The same report says the government has cracked down from time to time on overcharging and missing meters, yet operators have largely set prices as they wish.
We found no published procedure for getting a meter installed when an operator refuses, for having a meter tested, or for filing a complaint, and the report names no complaint route[2]. Ask your municipality, and the Ministry of Economy and Trade, which issued the meter decision, what they can do in your area. More in what to do if your generator owner overcharges.
How to check your generator bill
- Ask how you will be billed. Before you sign a lease or a subscription, ask the operator or the building manager whether you will have a meter, what your amperage is, and how the monthly bill is worked out. Get the answer in writing if you can.
- Find the month's official tariff. The Ministry of Energy and Water publishes it as a PDF notice on its website, and National News Agency releases carry it too. In October 2026 the ministry's folder could not be opened, so we read the current tariff through the agency's copy[4].
- Read the meter yourself. Take a dated photo of the reading at the start and end of each billing month. Keep every bill.
- Look for extra charges. Unregistered VAT, maintenance or network fees and solar surcharges are not allowed on top of the tariff[1].
- Put it in the lease if you rent. We found no source on who pays the generator under a lease, so write the billing method and who pays into the contract. See who pays which bills in a rented flat.
It depends on
- Your amperage. In the September 2026 tariff, the fixed part rises by LL300,000 for each extra 5 A[1]. Ask what your breaker is rated at.
- Shared parts of the building. A 2022 ministry notice charged lifts and common areas on a three-phase supply at the single-phase rating, so a 3x15 A breaker counted as 15 A. We did not see whether the September 2026 notice repeats this[4]. See who pays for the generator and common areas.
- Whether you have solar. Operators may not charge extra because you also use solar[1]. With a meter, a sunny month costs you less.
- Whether the operator complies. Many do not install meters, according to The National in October 2026[2]. Ask your municipality what applies locally.
Common questions
Is a generator meter mandatory in Lebanon?
Can my generator owner charge a maintenance fee on top of the tariff?
No. The Ministry of Energy and Water says owners may not add maintenance or network fees, VAT unless they are registered for it, or extra fees for subscribers who use solar[1].
What can I do if the operator refuses to install a meter?
No published procedure covers this, and the October 2026 reporting names no complaint route[2]. Ask your municipality and the Ministry of Economy and Trade what they can do in your area.
Sources
Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.
- 1.Private generator tariff for September 2026
Beirut24 (reproducing National News Agency / Ministry of Energy and Water statement) · 1 Oct 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 2.Lebanon's power failure: Diesel generators, $300-a-month bills - and a corrupt system milking the profits
The National · 14 Oct 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 3.From the citizen's pocket to the institution's deficit: how Electricité du Liban stumbles
Al Jazeera · 16 Oct 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 4.Ministry of Energy and Water issues the private generator tariff for October 2022
Ministry of Energy and Water (Lebanon) · 27 Oct 2022 · read 17 Oct 2026
Related questions
- What is the official private generator tariff this month?Latest published tariff (September 2026): LL52,840 per kWh in cities, LL58,124 in villages, plus a fixed fee by amperage. How bills work and how to check.
- What can I do if my generator owner overcharges or has no meter?Check your bill against the Energy Ministry's monthly tariff, ask for the mandatory meter, refuse banned surcharges. No complaint route is published.
- How much does a generator subscription cost per month for 5, 10 or 15 amps?Under the September 2026 tariff, 5 A costs LL385,000 fixed plus LL52,840 per kWh in cities. The formula, 10 and 15 A, real bills and illegal extras.
- How much will I pay per month for electricity in a Beirut apartment?It varies widely: one Beirut-area household paid USD 140 a month for EDL and generator in October 2026. How the two bills work and what to check.
- Who pays electricity, generator, water and internet in a rented flat in Lebanon?No published rule says who pays electricity, generator, water and internet in a rented flat: the lease decides. What to write and how meters change name.
- Who pays for the building generator, lift and common-area electricity in Lebanon: owners or tenants?Owners fund lifts and shared equipment through the owners' association under Decree 88/1983; the lease decides what a tenant pays. Rules, votes, arrears.
