Of everything on a Bahrain moving checklist, the electricity and water account is the item people leave to the end and then regret. Your security deposit is only refunded after the account is closed and the final bill is settled, and if you have already handed back the keys and left the country, chasing it becomes considerably harder.
Start this before your move, not after.
What actually has to happen
Three separate things, which people tend to think are one:
- Close the account for the property you are leaving, so billing stops.
- Settle the final bill. The deposit is refunded after this is cleared.
- Claim the deposit refund into your bank account.
EWA runs each of these as its own service, including a Move Out service, a Close Account service and a Deposit Refund service.
When to start
Two to three weeks before you hand back the property. The final bill has to be generated, which means a final meter reading, which means the account has to be closed first. Each step waits on the one before it.
What you will need
Typically: your EWA account number, your CPR or passport, your tenancy agreement or account management agreement, and bank details for the refund. Verify on ewa.bh
How to do it
- Online: through the EWA eServices portal, logging in with your eKey. Fastest for most people.
- Mobile: through the EWA mobile app.
- In person: at an EWA customer service centre.
Opening the account at your new home
You will normally need your new tenancy agreement, your ID and the property details. If your name is going on the account, the landlord’s agreement usually needs to be in place first. Do this in the same week you close the old one.
The mistakes that cost people money
- Leaving it until after the move. The most common and most expensive mistake.
- Closing the account before the final meter reading. Sequence matters.
- Not providing bank details. The refund has nowhere to go.
- Leaving Bahrain with the account still open. Billing continues and the deposit stays with EWA.
- Forgetting the landlord’s side. Some tenancy agreements tie the deposit to the account being properly closed.
Also moving out of a rented home? Read how much notice you have to give your landlord.
Official service information: Electricity and Water Authority.
Updated 5 October 2026