world electricity rates

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
3,480
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At the rate they are quoting it works out to roughly 5 Pesos per KWH.

My last months bill was at RD$9.26 per KWH, but I did creep over that 700 KWH limit. Which you are then charged the whole bill for..Ouch!

I bet Denmark haven't had a power cut since the Carlsberg brewery opened!
 

belgiank

Silver
Jun 13, 2009
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In belgium a lot of families now have a meter in their house, in which they have to put money by their ATM card, so they can have electricity...

Makes you think, doesn't it...
 

CFA123

Silver
May 29, 2004
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Either something wrong with those #'s or how I'm reading them.

It states U.S. cost per kilowatt hour is $0.113 and that DR cost per kilowatt hour is US$0.136 (about the same).

Actual DR rates are something like...
0 - 200 = RD$ 3.70
200-300 = RD$ 5.81
300-700 = RD$ 9.06

Seems to me that for 'normal usage' many are paying RD$ 9.06 or about US$0.24/kwh, not the US$0.136 as stated.

Unless my calcs are wrong, I'd not put much stock in the link posted above.
 

belgiank

Silver
Jun 13, 2009
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define many... most families here do no go over the magic 700 kwh... well, almost none do... unless they are rich expats... or rich DR families...
 

CFA123

Silver
May 29, 2004
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define many... most families here do no go over the magic 700 kwh... well, almost none do... unless they are rich expats... or rich DR families...

You're right. But I know 'many' that watch the meter with a vengeance to avoid the bill doubling for a few extra kWh's.

If the rates were truly comparable then more could afford a few electrical luxuries that set the haves and have nots apart.

My main point was and is that to say DR rates are practically the same as in US as that link states is patently misleading. They're only the same if u consume very few kWh's

Avg US household uses about 1000kwh/month for an annual cost of $1200. Think how much more comfort is attained for $100/month and how little $3700 pesos of electricity gets you here. Barely more than 1/3 the kWh here.
 
Last edited:
Feb 7, 2007
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This is not correct info.

My native country's rate is posted as 0.22 USD per KWh, but the rate actually is 0.0751 Euro per kWh, which is about 0.10 USD.
 

ffritz

New member
Feb 7, 2008
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www.gymbar.blogspot.com
Now consider the "indirect" cost of electricity here ...

In three years we have had to buy 4 new invertor batteries & replace the following electricals due to power surges etc

32" lcd tv
washing machine
2 wireless routers
fans
several fridge & freezers full of food

& yes, we do have surge protection on delicate electronic equipment, a further additional cost.

Having said all the above, our utility bills are much lower here than in the (Y)UK :)
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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Truly misleading.
Most middle class people are paying in the neighborhood of 24 cents a kw/h (9.26 DOP)

The other are subsidized by the ones who pay!!!

There are many places that are 1/3 the electricity rates...

A really great article in today's NY Times on how Portugal is producing 45% of its electricity with renewable energy, mostly wind and hydraulic. Studies have shown that the DR has a huge potential for wind energy, and we would pay the same for electricity (which is more than what people in Portugal are paying!!!) with no tax increases, less petroleum imports, fewer blackouts....
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/science/earth/10portugal.html?th&emc=th

As I read it I kept thinking that this would be a good fit for the DR....But with the heavy investment that the government has in petroleum (which would not be at all harmed by this, FWIW) they are too short sighted to see how this could really work here....

HB
 

DMV123

Bronze
Mar 31, 2010
1,211
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I think this is entirely misleading. It is not enough to compare the cost of electricity but you need to also compare the ability to pay.

Easier to pay the electricity bill when you earn 3,000 US per month (for example) rather then trying to pay the bill when people earn 500 US per month - -and lets face it not all that many here even earn that!
 

jrhartley

Gold
Sep 10, 2008
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its seems khazhahstan is the place to go then ..........OR does it mean there are a lot of households without any electric, therefore the average per household would go down
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
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Good point DMV. Consider however that there are more than three million cell phones in the country. There are 1.9 million people who do not pay a penny for electricity. How can that be? If they use electricity, they should pay for it. Period. That is one part of the story.

The other part is the simple fact that most of the generation facilities in the DR use out-of-date equipment that consumes costly fuels (like diesel, fuel oil or Bunker C) and have a high cost per kw/h in the first place. In order not to put the entire country in a blackout mode, the government was nearly forced to sign the Madrid agreement which allows these inefficiencies to continue ad infinitum, untill the government finds the "cojones" to tell them to go to he!!.

Added to that is the magic word: Maintenence. Nearly unheard of in this land. Fact: None of the hydroelectric power plants can produce 100% of their rated power because the equipment is worn out from lack of mantenance. Yet the Falconbridge power station can produce 110% of its rated power nearly 30 years after installation.

Finally, and I have said this before, the CDEEE has about a 30-35% loss of electricity in the transmission alone! Like I told my friend John, a Irish barkeep, "If you buy 100 barrels of Guinness, but 30 of them "disappear" before they get to your bar, what do you do?
He said: "Up the price on the remaining 70".
I then told him, "but as many as 25% of your customers walk out without paying?"

He said in that wonderful brogue: "Then I'm phucked!"

And that my friends is the short and sweet of it. No more, no less.

HB
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
define many... most families here do no go over the magic 700 kwh... well, almost none do... unless they are rich expats... or rich DR families...
Many go over 700kw.

Most don't. But most go over 300kw which triggers the RD$9.06 price. And RD$9.06=around US$0.24...which IS expensive when compared to per capita GDP, in the expensive First World NA/Euro rates. Very expensive.

I doubt the cost for normal consumption, apples to apples, is US$0.60 per kw in Belgium.
 

DMV123

Bronze
Mar 31, 2010
1,211
114
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HB you are of course correct!!!!

1.9million people not paying is unacceptable. 30% load loss is unacceptable.

It needs to be run like a business by real business people, from the top to the bottom!!!!!

The hangers on must go. Those that balloon the payrolls and do nada need to go. All the bloody advisers need to go.

They need to go into every area and disconnect those who do not pay. Let the gov't devise a plan to assist the very poor - the truly very poor, Not those who choose to go out drinking and dancing rather then pay the electricity cause they can just steal it anyway.

They need to disconnect the businesses and gov't office who do not pay! And then fine the crap out of them so everyone else will think twice about it.

And I do not want to hear from the bleeding heart liberals. I already said assist the truly needy. The rest - damn well pay your fair share.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
HB you are of course correct!!!!

1.9million people not paying is unacceptable. 30% load loss is unacceptable.

It needs to be run like a business by real business people, from the top to the bottom!!!!!

The hangers on must go. Those that balloon the payrolls and do nada need to go. All the bloody advisers need to go.

They need to go into every area and disconnect those who do not pay. Let the gov't devise a plan to assist the very poor - the truly very poor, Not those who choose to go out drinking and dancing rather then pay the electricity cause they can just steal it anyway.

They need to disconnect the businesses and gov't office who do not pay! And then fine the crap out of them so everyone else will think twice about it.

And I do not want to hear from the bleeding heart liberals. I already said assist the truly needy. The rest - damn well pay your fair share.
Grand Poobah hereby appoints you as Minister of Energy.;)

Penalty for electricity theft: 3 x estimated theft in cash plus clean up of 4000m2 of land for each RD$3000 electricity stolen.
 

DMV123

Bronze
Mar 31, 2010
1,211
114
0
Grand Poobah hereby appoints you as Minister of Energy.;)

Penalty for electricity theft: 3 x estimated theft in cash plus clean up of 4000m2 of land for each RD$3000 electricity stolen.

OH THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU......... now send me that nice patch for my shirt pocket so I look official.

NOW HIRING - like minded individuals who understand how to cut live wires. NOW HIRING - individuals with big guns to protect the above.
NOW HIRING - business people to assist me with my takeover!