Electric Water Heaters in Montenegro: Price, Replacement, Limescale and Running Cost (2026)
In Montenegro people search for a water heater (bojler) by shop and by town. On 24 September 2026 Google completed bojler with bojleri crna gora (water heaters Montenegro), bojleri tehnomax (a chain store) and bojleri podgorica, bojler cijena (water heater price) with Montenegro and Podgorica, and bojler podgorica with bojler 80l, bojler 50l, majstor za bojler (water heater repairman), grijači za bojler (heating elements) and termostat za bojler. People also search for ugradnja bojlera podgorica (installation), servis bojlera podgorica (servicing) and čišćenje bojlera podgorica (descaling), and among the problems bojler ne grije vodu (not heating) and bojler curi na sigurnosni ventil (dripping from the safety valve). In English and Russian there are practically no such searches for Montenegro.
This guide gives the prices of new water heaters in two Montenegrin shops, a calculation of what one heat-up costs at EPCG's prices, what the manufacturer requires at installation, and what to ask the installer.
What a new water heater costs
On 24 September 2026 we went through the water heaters on two Montenegrin online shops: Tehnomax listed 26 models, and at TehnoPlus we looked at the 20 cheapest. The prices are those the shops showed that day, with the discounts they state themselves:
| Capacity | Cheapest at Tehnomax | Cheapest at TehnoPlus |
|---|---|---|
| 5 l, small | €62.10 | €47.60 |
| 10 l, small | €71.10 | €59.50 |
| 50 l | €99.90 | €89.25 |
| 80 l | €116.10 | €119.85 |
| 100 l | €159.30 | €191.25 |
The range is wide even within one size: Tehnomax's seven 80-litre heaters cost from €116.10 to €367.20, with the flat Ariston Velis and a Thermex with smart controls at the top. In the searches for Podgorica, it is exactly the 80 and 50 litre heaters that come up.
How much electricity one heat-up uses
This is our calculation, not a measurement. Assumptions: an 80-litre heater, mains water at 15 °C, heated to 55 °C, which is what the manufacturer's manual recommends for the "eco" setting, with no heat losses. That takes 3.72 kWh; a 2,000 W element does it in about 1.9 hours.
On EPCG's price list for households, valid from 1 January 2026, the basic model with a two-rate meter charges 5.2424 cents per kWh of energy at the higher rate (VT) and 2.6212 cents at the lower rate (NT). Add network capacity, network losses and the renewables levy, and one kWh comes to 11.5462 cents at VT and 6.0096 cents at NT, before VAT and fixed monthly charges.
| Water heater | Energy | Heat-up at NT | Heat-up at VT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 l, from 15 to 55 °C | 3.72 kWh | €0.22 | €0.43 |
| 50 l, from 15 to 55 °C | 2.33 kWh | €0.14 | €0.27 |
Thirty heat-ups of an 80-litre heater a month come to about €6.71 if they all happen at the lower rate and €12.89 at the higher one. So it pays to let the heater work at night, with the thermostat on "eco".
Replacing a water heater: what must be fitted
In the manual for its TGR water heaters from 50 to 80 litres, Gorenje writes that only a qualified person may connect the heater to the water and electricity supply, and sets out several rules that also apply to the installer you call:
- A safety valve is mandatory on the cold-water inlet in a closed, pressurised system. It stops the pressure in the heater from rising more than 1 bar above the rated pressure.
- There must be no shut-off valve between the heater and the safety valve, because it would disable the pressure protection.
- Dripping from the safety valve is expected. As the water heats up, the pressure rises and water may drip from the outlet. The outlet must point downwards and be led to a drain, somewhere it cannot freeze.
- If you do not want dripping, an expansion vessel of at least 5% of the heater's volume must be fitted on the inlet, so at least 4 litres for an 80-litre heater.
- If the mains pressure is higher than the heater's rated pressure, a pressure-reducing valve is mandatory.
So the search bojler curi na sigurnosni ventil does not always mean a fault: dripping during heating is expected. If water leaks from the heater itself or from the joints rather than from the valve outlet, switch the heater off and call a service.
Limescale, the anode and the guarantee
The same manual says the guarantee against tank corrosion applies only if the prescribed regular checks of the protective magnesium anode were done, by an authorised service that records the check on the guarantee card. According to the manual, any work inside the heater, including descaling and replacing the anode, is done only by an authorised service. The manufacturer recommends the "eco" setting, at which the water stays at about 55 °C, because less limescale forms and heat losses are lower.
If the heater does not heat, whether the indicator light is on or off, first switch off its circuit breaker. Elements and thermostats can be replaced, but that is a job for an electrician or a service, not a home repair.
What the installer's work costs
We found no published price lists for installing or descaling water heaters in Montenegro: the services we reviewed quote on request. When you ask for a quote, ask whether it includes removing and disposing of the old heater, a new safety valve and hoses, checking the wall bracket and commissioning. Under the Consumer Protection Act in force since February 2026, for a repair costing more than €50 the service must give you a written quote, and for an increase of more than 10% it must get your written consent. More on these rules and on the guarantee for new appliances is in our guide to appliance repair.
What we see on Glatko
On 24 September 2026 the platform had 8 verified plumbers (four in Podgorica, two in Tivat, one each in Budva and Bar) and 8 verified electricians (six in Podgorica, two in Budva). Two Podgorica electricians explicitly list water heater servicing and repair in their descriptions. Of the 25 requests the platform received between 24 April and 28 June 2026, none concerned a water heater.
What a plumber's work looks like in the capital, and who speaks English, is in our guide Plumber in Podgorica, and hourly rates for various trades in our guide to tradespeople's hourly rates. If water is leaking at night on the coast, see who to call for an emergency repair.
What we did not measure
We did not measure actual consumption including heat losses, water hardness by town or the price of labour. The heater prices are a snapshot of two shops on one day and change with promotions; the installation rules come from one manufacturer's manual, so for another heater read its own manual.
Frequently asked questions
On 24 September 2026 the cheapest 80-litre heater cost €116.10 at Tehnomax and €119.85 at TehnoPlus. At Tehnomax, seven 80-litre models cost from €116.10 to €367.20.