How to Get Your SEC Security Deposit Back?

If you have cancelled your electricity meter after a lease has ended or a property has been sold, you are entitled to recover the security deposit you paid when the meter was installed. The process is not complicated, but it contains details that confuse many people. Here is what you need to know.

Quick Answer

To recover the security deposit from Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), you must first cancel the meter and settle the final bill. You then submit a refund request through the SEC app or website, or by calling the customer service number 920001100. The amount is transferred to your bank account (IBAN) within 5 to 10 working days after the final settlement. The refunded amount is the original deposit value minus any outstanding balances. There are no fees for the refund.

When Are You Entitled to a Refund and What Are the Conditions?

The security deposit (sometimes incorrectly called a "social insurance" amount — a completely different term relating to pensions) is an amount collected by SEC when a meter is installed as a guarantee for bill payments. It is refunded in three main situations:

• Permanent cancellation of the meter when vacating or demolishing the property.
• Transfer of service to a new owner or tenant with a formal assignment.
• Conversion of the meter from one category to another in certain cases.

The basic condition is that you must have no outstanding bills. Any unpaid balance is automatically deducted from the deposit, and the remainder is transferred to you. If the amount owed exceeds the deposit, you will be charged the difference.

An important point many people overlook: if the meter is registered in someone else's name (the original owner, for example) and you paid the deposit, you cannot recover it directly. The person submitting the request must be the account holder registered with the company.

Steps for Submitting a Security Deposit Refund Request with Saudi Electricity Company

The process is almost entirely digital. Follow these steps:

1. Settle the final bill and request the final meter reading. Submit a "service termination" request through the SEC app or website.
2. Submit the refund request through the official channels: the app, the website, or by calling the unified number 920001100.
3. Attach the required documents: a copy of your national ID, the account (subscription) number, and the IBAN for a bank account in your name.
4. Track your request using the reference number sent to you by text message.

The usual processing period is 5 to 10 working days, but it may extend to one month if there are pending settlements or a dispute over the final reading. ^[1][2]

If more than one month passes without a response, file a complaint with the Electricity and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority (formerly the Water, Electricity and Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority) or through the government "Tawasul" platform.

What If the Company Refuses the Refund or Delays?

Refusing to refund the deposit without a regulatory justification constitutes a violation. You have three escalation options:

• Internal customer service: Request an official complaint number; do not rely on a verbal call alone.
• Electricity and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority (ECRA): The supervisory body overseeing service providers in the Kingdom. It accepts consumer complaints through its website.
• The Commercial Court or the Board of Grievances, depending on the nature of the dispute, if significant amounts are involved or if loss results from the delay.

In most cases, a single complaint to the regulatory authority is sufficient to move the request forward. The company is legally required to respond within a specified period.

Keep everything: the original deposit receipt, the last settled bill, the meter cancellation request, and the refund reference number. Without these documents, any subsequent dispute becomes very difficult.

For more on tenant rights at the end of a lease, see Common Tenancy Questions.