Power Distributors - YOU SUCK!

[Robert]

Posters in Bavaro/Punta Cana and parts of Samana have no idea what all the fuss is about. They have private generators and distributors and it works VERY well.

I honestly think the fuse is getting shorter. Times are bad, no power, rampent government corruption, all the ingrediants for wide scale social unrest.

 

[jaguarbob]

I agree with cobraboy.

Another funny thing is that the monthly bill from them seems never reflecting the time of the "se fue la luz" time, doesn't matter, the amount is always the same for me...

I agree...my bill will never go down and it has gone up with no elec every other day for 6 months...
bob

 

[Ringo]

It sounds good on the surface to try and go off the grid and use your own wind and solar power. You could do it if you live a very miserly existence with regard to electricity. I am following someone that is going this route with a small generator and some solar panels. Keep in mind that the wind does not blow all the time to power a wind generator. Normally it blows in Cabarate in the afternoon and early evening, for example. For those trying to use solar panels for electricity, you get about 8 hours per day of isolation. For someone using, lets say, 600 to 700KWH of power each month, it a large number of solar panels, saw about 20 of them and a few small wind turbines. For every for solar panels you will get about 135KWH of power on average during a month of sunny days. The investment is well over $50K US for such a system if you already have the battery/inverter system. The panels and wind turbines are very expensive here. Having a payback period of much more than 10 years would put most people off. If you have no other way to get power, then of course it is much easier to make that decision.

One thing that is practical here is a solar hot water heater. Those that have them say they work very well.

You mean something like this Windeguy?

Let me know what you are getting and who you are getting it from?

What power outage? We go off the 120 VDC side of the grid for an average of 9 hours every day and our batteries stay about fully charged and not having cut change our elec. use.

Ringo

 

[Mason3000]

Just piling on and venting. We're in La Castellana and lost power yesterday from 12:00pm to 3:00am. Then this morning they came at 8:30am to cut us off for not paying the bill that they had never delivered. When I went to pay...you guessed it up $1,500 Pesos from last month with less usage.

I agree with the poster who said they need to make this thing private. The Dominican Govt is simply too corrupt to be left in charge of something this important.

Speaking of private vs Govt run, I just got back from Costa Rica where their Govt run phone company hands me a cellular bill for roughly $30 a month. Here my cell phone for the same usage is over $115 a month.

Arrrgh!!!

 

[laurajane]

I'm pretty sure technology is not the issue. Getting folks to pay for power is the issue.

I totally agree, but here today i was told by Mr Ljs sister that they have power 24/7 and she lives in the barrio most renouned for stealing electricity. Also an empolyee if mine who lives in another area that very few actually pay for electric has said he has had no blackouts for months. Where as i live in a resonable neighborhood, not a barrio and am surrounded as far as i can tell by working people in nice houses that i presume pay and we have been without power all day yesterday and today.

So i wish someone could pleeeeeeez explain to me how this is supposed to encourage power thieves to pay up..........ummmmmmmm :ermm:

 

[caribmike]

How that

should encourage US to pay? I know, when we don't pay, they come and cut us, meanwhile the thiefs obviously never getting caught, same here in Puerto Plata... :ermm:

 

[Mr. Lu]

...

I honestly think the fuse is getting shorter. Times are bad, no power, rampent government corruption, all the ingrediants for wide scale social unrest.

Right idea, wrong country. We all know the reason this will never change: Dominicans don't want it to change.

It's not about the politicians or the Dominican Americans. It's not about foreign companies or the NGOs. Nor the IMF, WB and other financing institutions.

DOMINICANS don't want this to change. They like things the way they are. They like the complaining and they enjoy something to gripe about. The victim card has been played for too long. Dominicans play the role of the victim to the T. My tolerance for pity, at least in this case, has worn thing.

As you can see from my post, frustration is now driving my opinions.



Mr. Lu

 

[Expat13]

Right idea, wrong country. We all know the reason this will never change: Dominicans don't want it to change.

It's not about the politicians or the Dominican Americans. It's not about foreign companies or the NGOs. Nor the IMF, WB and other financing institutions.

DOMINICANS don't want this to change. They like things the way they are. They like the complaining and they enjoy something to gripe about. The victim card has been played for too long. Dominicans play the role of the victim to the T. My tolerance for pity, at least in this case, has worn thing.

As you can see from my post, frustration is now driving my opinions.

Mr. Lu

It took me awhile to wrap my head around this, but I agree its the only possible theory that makes sense. Its too bad it blackens the enjoyment for the tourist and residing foreignors etc, who try to manage in this environment.

 

[Robert]

Also an empolyee if mine who lives in another area that very few actually pay for electric has said he has had no blackouts for months. Where as i live in a resonable neighborhood, not a barrio and am surrounded as far as i can tell by working people in nice houses that i presume pay and we have been without power all day yesterday and today.

So i wish someone could pleeeeeeez explain to me how this is supposed to encourage power thieves to pay up..........ummmmmmmm :ermm:

The poor riot when they have long blackouts, the last thing the government wants to see. Just like the union leaders are paid off to keep their mouths shut. Who knows what deals the government does with the distributors?

The bottom line is it's one huge mess that nobody has the balls, the intelligence or the will to tackle.

The mess goes all the way from the distributors to the end users. Failing power plants, decaying infrastructure, high rates, corruption, massive debt, ridiculous contracts etc.

The only positive thing I see from this, is the middle class is starting to get a little more vocal, businesses are complaining, people are starting to talk about protesting etc. I think once the noise starts, it will be like a wave, I hope anyway. Then again, Dominicans are pretty apathetic and are not big on people power, so I'm not putting any money on it

 

[laurajane]

I was talking to Mr Lj yesterday about a diferent government issue, but then it did get on to the power issue as well.Now neither me or Mr Lj pretend to be hugely knowledgable about these things and i would say he is a good representation of the average joe (with the exception that he does not play the victim and infact uses his unpriveliged past to drive him)...

When i told him that i do not understand how the Dominican people in general are such whimps and put up with this kind of so called leadership. I said the people have to start realizing that the government should work for them, why dont they demand better blah blah blah

He said that we are scared to stand up, we are not alowed to stand up. If you do and make enough noise, you dissapear!! He said there was a domincan man in the bank the other day, obviously well educated and he was loudly voicing his discust with a little issue of people pushing in or being rude in one way or another. Mr Lj said he voiced his opinion in a well spoken and informative way and was not just mouthing off. When the gentlemen left everyone started talking about "the dangerous man", and how speaking so openly was wrong.

Sorry totally off topic in a way but that is the way they think. Im not sure it will ever change.

Sigh

 

[cobraboy]

The poor riot when they have long blackouts, the last thing the government wants to see. Just like the union leaders are paid off to keep their mouths shut. Who knows what deals the government does with the distributors?

The bottom line is it's one huge mess that nobody has the balls, the intelligence or the will to tackle.

The mess goes all the way from the distributors to the end users. Failing power plants, decaying infrastructure, high rates, corruption, massive debt, ridiculous contracts etc.

The only positive thing I see from this, is the middle class is starting to get a little more vocal, businesses are complaining, people are starting to talk about protesting etc. I think once the noise starts, it will be like a wave, I hope anyway. Then again, Dominicans are pretty apathetic and are not big on people power, so I'm not putting any money on it

Robert, I doubt there is enough money available for the optimum grid, equipment and technical support.

the PROBLEM is there isn't enough money. The societal impact is what Mr. Lu described: they really don't care.

NOTHING will change until the people WANT it to change, and develop the political will to change it.

 

[KateP]

Posters in Bavaro/Punta Cana and parts of Samana have no idea what all the fuss is about. They have private generators and distributors and it works VERY well.

I honestly think the fuse is getting shorter. Times are bad, no power, rampent government corruption, all the ingrediants for wide scale social unrest.

Do I hear a bit of jealousy? aranoid: That was one of the big reasons I moved to Punta Cana (got tired of sleeping in the hammock on the porch). If the electricity goes out here, it's because they're doing maintenance work or because a lightning bolt hit one of the lines and then it's back on within minutes. The longest interval I've seen in over 4 years was the other night when a transformer on my street went caput and my area only was in the dark for about 2 hours. Brought back some fond memories... (NOT!)

 

[Robert]

KateP, I hate you!!!!

 

[Robert]

Robert, I doubt there is enough money available for the optimum grid, equipment and technical support.

the PROBLEM is there isn't enough money. The societal impact is what Mr. Lu described: they really don't care.

NOTHING will change until the people WANT it to change, and develop the political will to change it.

I agree with you, it's about the people, and until they change, nothing will change.

Why they allow themselves to be treated like dogs, chaos and corruption will flourish.

 

[cobraboy]

Do I hear a bit of jealousy? aranoid: That was one of the big reasons I moved to Punta Cana (got tired of sleeping in the hammock on the porch). If the electricity goes out here, it's because they're doing maintenance work or because a lightning bolt hit one of the lines and then it's back on within minutes. The longest interval I've seen in over 4 years was the other night when a transformer on my street went caput and my area only was in the dark for about 2 hours. Brought back some fond memories... (NOT!)

With a large economy fully dependant on tourism, you're fortunate indeed. Fact is I'll bet the % of folks not paying their bills is low single digits.

The rest of the country? I've heard between 40 and 60%...the number seems to vary...are stealing electricity. Example: we are helping a European colleague move to the area, and have been shopping for rental houses for/with him. We have seen 2 houses where the owners proudly stated they have free electricity. No meter. And their property is set up where it would be very difficult to see how they are connected to the grid.

Dominican electricity is 2-3 times more expensive...to those that actually pay...than almost anywhere else on the planet. And STILL those paying can't fully cover the cost of production.

Don't blame the gubmint or power companies. Put the blame where it squarely belongs: on those who steal power. There are soooooo many that it is almost impossible to stop them all.

If the power companies really wanted to get tough on the poachers they could. But the measures would be so drastic that they would be politically inoperative. There would be little political will to do so.

I want someone to try running a business where theft and "shrinkage" is 50% of your inventory. See how long you can survive.

 

[El_Uruguayo]

How can you not blame those that administer the power - the govt. and the generators? Sure, I agree people shouldn't steal power, but any responsible business owner takes theft prevention measures. These could be criminilization of theft of electricity, neighbourhood by neighbour hood assuring that customers pay, and providing incentives to paying customers - i.e better service, not cutting power 1 day after the due date, perhaps a penalty, a month's grace, ect. Why is it that in many other "developing countries" people are able to pay their bills, and that utility companies are able to give decent service, with almost all their base paying? Something tells me there is a sort of "honour amongst thieves" - if the guys at the top are skimming, then its ok for those at the bottom too.

One barrio at a time, it could be done. Signifigant investment in infrastructure, renewable energy, it could be sustainable. What was spent on the metro could have easily done this, but priorities are all wrong, there's no money (in the longterm) in a transparent, sustainable system.

 

[KateP]

One barrio at a time, it could be done. Signifigant investment in infrastructure, renewable energy, it could be sustainable. What was spent on the metro could have easily done this, but priorities are all wrong, there's no money (in the longterm) in a transparent, sustainable system.

Just had a flashback of when I used to live in Isabelita about 10 years ago... Edesur tried to come and sort out the spaghetti hanging from the poles and ended up hightailing it out of there with their van riddled with bullets. First and last time they tried in the 3 years I lived there!