450$ for electricity contract in Bavaro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! why we are ripped off always

rubenpriego

New member
Feb 28, 2011
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My dear friends from DR1, I am so collapsed, dont know what to say.
I had to arrange my electricity contract to be able to have electricy in my apartment in Bavaro and the electric company told me that for that condominium the electricity contract to get electricity in my home is 450 DOLLARS!!!!.

What the hell is going on in DR? what kind of country is it? They think we are stupids? how can this kind of cost of living can be faced!!!

It is so ridiculous, that is the same in proportion as if in Europe to get a electricity contract they charge you 2,500$ !!!!!

450$ is more than an average dominican monthly salary!!!

I am absolutely annoyed, shocked, collapsed ... I have no words
 

CaptnGlenn

Silver
Mar 29, 2010
2,321
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If I'm not mistaken, this is the cost of the electric meter, which you must actually purchase and you then own to take with you if you should leave.
 

Bryanell

Bronze
Aug 9, 2005
694
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Sounds about right. I paid around that figure for a contract with EDESUR in 2006 but that included a US$400 said-to-be refundable deposit for the meter and guarantee for payment of the bills.
 

rubenpriego

New member
Feb 28, 2011
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wow, thats an interesting comment Glenn, I will ask about it, as I was not the one taking care of that matter, Im not yet in DR ...
You mean the machine that counts the electricty?
Thanks for that info.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
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Yes we had to pay something like that for the meter when we got our contract with CEPM.
 

yanandu

Banned
Jan 23, 2011
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Trivial!

The meter must be paid for and 2 months deposit against unpaid bills.
We have some stupid posters. They should burn candles!

Yanandu
 

vida

New member
Mar 18, 2010
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I had to make a deposit of 10000 pesos in 2006 in Santo Domingo for an electricity contract. I assume the idea is that you are going to leave the country with unpaid bills. In Miami you also must make a deposit but it is returned in one year if your have paid your bills.
 

rubenpriego

New member
Feb 28, 2011
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thanks for all that info guys. I appreciate it.
I am really scared of going to a third world country with third world salaries but European cost of living ...
 

DMV123

Bronze
Mar 31, 2010
1,211
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This will include the meter and a deposit is usually based on some lifestyle issues. Normally they will do a calculation based on variables like location of apt, how many rooms, # of people, # of air conditioners etc. AND sometimes they will make unfair assumptions because you are a foreigner.

Yanandu - that was uncalled for!!!! The OP may not have had a full understanding of the issues. Cut him some slack will you!!!!
 

rubenpriego

New member
Feb 28, 2011
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Not sure if we can consider it as "fair price" if we take into account average salaries of that country, not the salaries close to European and US ones that some expats fortunately have ... not a real comparison then ...
 

yanandu

Banned
Jan 23, 2011
472
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About 1/3 of UK price. If you are poor in the DR and promise only to use fan and single light there is no charge for connection.
I have seen people pay 80 pesos for a months electricity.
Fuel oil, gas, transformers cost the same the World over plus developing countries have to pay bankers high rates for money required to install equipment. Japanese PM was appealing to his people to turn off refrigerators, a/c etc.
Yanandu
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
I have seen people pay 80 pesos for a months electricity.

geez, people pay this little not because they use this little but because they live in dirt poor god forgotten barrios where the electricity fee is is set by the government. trust me, even a stupid fan would use more power in a moth than just 80 pesos...
 

Los Lobos

New member
Mar 8, 2011
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Thats why you see so many locals "tapping in" into the power grid. In some areas you dont even see meters on the houses just wires running to the house. I always wondered how the bill was calculated.
 

HumbleHindu

New member
Jan 14, 2010
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I got a contract last month. I did not pay anything and they told me that I had to pay around 800 Pesos with the first bill. I doubt them after reading all these posts.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Sounds about right. I paid around that figure for a contract with EDESUR in 2006 but that included a US$400 said-to-be refundable deposit for the meter and guarantee for payment of the bills.

That is strange. EdeEste asks for RD$1.000 deposit for 110V contract and RD$2.000 deposit for 220V contract. I did two new contracts in the past 12 months, one for office and one for home, both 220V contracts, and in both cases I was asked only for RD$2.000 deposit, indicated as "DEPOSIT" on the invoice (it was charged to the first invoice) and clearly stated in the contract it was refundable at the end of contract relationship.

No meter purchasing. Actually, at my house, my meter was stolen 2 times in less than 6 weeks (January and February this year) from its outside box and it was replaced free of charged by EdeEste, my providing police report in both instances. I was not charged anything nor on spot nor in the invoice.

Anyway, why would anyone pay US$400 for a meter that costs 50 dollars new? You can buy one new off ebay (this is the actual model use din Higuey)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ICON-Electric-2...067?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0fbccd93
http://cgi.ebay.com/ICON-Electric-2...565?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0fa53c5d
 
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