💡 Setting up electricity and water in Madeira
Setting up electricity and water in Madeira is the first real adult task in your new home, and the good news is it is simpler here than on the mainland. There is no shopping around between ten suppliers. Madeira runs its own game. Electricity comes from one company, EEM, the regional utility that has lit the island since the 1990s. Water and wastewater come from ARM, which covers most of the island. Two contracts, two phone numbers, and a folder of documents. Do it right and you flip the switch within days instead of sitting in a cold, dark flat wondering why nothing turns on.
Last updated: June 2026Setting up electricity and water in Madeira means two contracts: electricity with EEM (Empresa de Eletricidade da Madeira), the region's single utility, on the free line 800 221 187, and water with ARM (Águas e Resíduos da Madeira) on 291 950 500. Take your passport or ID, your NIF, the rental contract or deeds, and a Portuguese IBAN. For an existing home with live meters, a name change is usually done the same week; a brand new connection needs an electrical inspection certificate first.
Get your folder ready before you call anyone
Both EEM and ARM want the same core documents. Your passport or citizen ID. Your NIF (the Portuguese tax number you should already have). Proof you live there, which is your rental contract or, if you bought, the property deeds. A Portuguese IBAN if you want to pay by direct debit, which everyone here does. Have the address and, ideally, the previous bill or the meter point number handy. Sort the NIF first if you have not, because nothing happens without it.
Sort the electricity with EEM
Call EEM on the free line 800 221 187 or walk into a loja. If the flat already has a working meter, you are just putting the contract in your name, so you give your NIF, the meter point reference (CPE) from the old bill, the address, and your bank details. That is usually wrapped up the same week. Ask for a tariff (tarifa simples is the standard flat rate) and pick your contracted power, normally 3.45 kVA for a small flat or 6.9 kVA for a bigger home with an oven and aircon.
Handle a brand new connection differently
If the property has never had power, or the installation was redone, EEM cannot just sign you up. You first need an electrical inspection certificate from a licensed inspection body (an EIIEL), confirming the wiring is safe and to code. You send that and the alvará digitally for validation, then EEM emails back an approval you print and bring in to sign the supply contract. A technician may visit to check the connection conditions. Budget extra days for this, not the same-week speed of a simple name change.
Sort the water with ARM
Water and wastewater run through ARM (Águas e Resíduos da Madeira), which serves most municipalities on the island. Call 291 950 500 or visit their counter at the Loja do Cidadão on Avenida Arriaga in Funchal. Bring the same folder: ID, NIF, proof of address, IBAN. Tell them it is a domestic contract and whether you need just drinking water or wastewater too. A few small councils still run their own water, so if ARM says they do not cover your street, your câmara municipal (town hall) is the place to ask.
Expect a deposit and set up direct debit
Both utilities can ask for a security deposit (caução) when you open a contract, refunded when you close it cleanly. Set up direct debit (débito direto) from your Portuguese account on day one so you never miss a bill. EEM bills monthly. Read your own meters if asked, or let the smart meter report itself. Keep that first bill safe, because the meter numbers on it make every future change faster.
Know who to call when something breaks
Power cut affecting just you? Check your trip switch first, then call EEM on 800 221 187, which also handles meter readings around the clock. Burst pipe or no water? ARM is your line on 291 950 500. For anything inside the walls, a dodgy socket, a leak under the sink, a panel that keeps tripping, you want a vetted local electrician or plumber, not a guess from a Facebook group. That is exactly what the marketplace quote flow is for.
Loja do Cidadão da Madeira (EEM & ARM counters)
Avenida Arriaga 42-A, R/C, Edifício Arriaga, 9000-064 Funchal
🕒 Mon to Fri, 08:30 to 19:30
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Get a quote from a vetted pro More newcomer guides for MadeiraFrequently asked questions
Who supplies electricity in Madeira?
EEM, the Empresa de Eletricidade da Madeira, is the region's single electricity company. Unlike the mainland, there is no open market with EDP, Galp or Endesa here, so you do not shop around. You contract directly with EEM on the free line 800 221 187 or at one of its lojas.
How do I set up water in Madeira?
Contact ARM (Águas e Resíduos da Madeira) on 291 950 500 or at the Loja do Cidadão on Avenida Arriaga in Funchal. Bring your ID, NIF, proof of address and a Portuguese IBAN, and ask for a domestic contract. A handful of small councils still run their own water, in which case your town hall handles it.
What documents do I need to connect utilities in Madeira?
Your passport or citizen ID, your Portuguese NIF, proof that you live at the address (rental contract or property deeds), and a Portuguese IBAN for direct debit. The previous bill helps because it carries the meter reference that speeds up a name change.
How long does it take to get electricity connected in Madeira?
If the home already has a live meter, putting the EEM contract in your name is usually done within the same week. A brand new connection takes longer because you first need an electrical inspection certificate from a licensed inspector before EEM will sign the supply contract.
Is there a deposit to set up electricity and water?
Yes, both EEM and ARM can charge a security deposit (caução) when you open a contract. It is refunded when you close the account properly. Setting up direct debit from your Portuguese bank account is the standard way locals pay both bills.
Do I need a Portuguese bank account for utilities in Madeira?
In practice, yes. Direct debit from a Portuguese IBAN is the normal way to pay EEM and ARM, and it stops you ever missing a bill. Open the bank account early, ideally right after you get your NIF.