Okay, I was looking at my meter today, and it says that I've used about 1367 kwh. How do I figure out the cost of my electric bill?
- Thread starter Dark_Scorpion
- Start date
Need Some Help Understanding My Meter.
- Status
If your power company is an EDE, your bill will be 1,367 X 10.86 = 14,845.62 $RD or about $371 US.
What you need to know is if 1,367 kWh is the amount you really used from the start of the billing cycle or is it just the current meter reading. If you don't know what the reading was at the start of the current billing cycle, then we have no way to know exactly what your bill would be.
EDE's charge the following per kWh:
0 to 200 kWh 4.44 RD
201 to 300 kWh 6.97 RD
301 to 700 kWh 10.86 RD
Use over 700 kWh in a month and all of the usage is charged at 10.86 RD.
What you need to know is if 1,367 kWh is the amount you really used from the start of the billing cycle or is it just the current meter reading. If you don't know what the reading was at the start of the current billing cycle, then we have no way to know exactly what your bill would be.
EDE's charge the following per kWh:
0 to 200 kWh 4.44 RD
201 to 300 kWh 6.97 RD
301 to 700 kWh 10.86 RD
Use over 700 kWh in a month and all of the usage is charged at 10.86 RD.
I've never turned the AC on, just the ceiling fan, and that was only for a few nights.
I have news for you "Scorpion" Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad News!!!!
My usage last month was 15,270 pesos for the electricity,and 144 pesos "Fixed Cost!!!!
For a family of 8!!!
4 air conditioners, lots of fans, TVs, lights,ironing/washing time, 2 fridges,water pump,micro wave, I THINK you get the picture.
There are a few scenarios for you, all Bad scenarios!!!!
You are paying the bill of the tenant, who left without paying his bill.
The account has not been put in your name?
If not, if you want to continue to receive power, the bill must be paid in full, before that happens.Most likely, by YOU!
Your landlord, and possibly "others" are stealing your power. ie. your line also powers common spaces, water pump,and god know what else.
When you go to the electric office, expect THIS:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,"NO HELP", just a list of excuses why it is YOUR "Problemo!!!!"
These are the kind of questions that newcomers should ask here on DR1, before, not after, they need information.
I am not blaming you,or others, I blame Dominican Culture!
The vast majority of us want to help people like you from making costly mistakes.
ASK QUESTIONS!!!
LOTS, of QUESTIONS!
Keep us informed, it is possible we can help you make this situation, less costly.
Cris Colon
My usage last month was 15,270 pesos for the electricity,and 144 pesos "Fixed Cost!!!!
For a family of 8!!!
4 air conditioners, lots of fans, TVs, lights,ironing/washing time, 2 fridges,water pump,micro wave, I THINK you get the picture.
There are a few scenarios for you, all Bad scenarios!!!!
You are paying the bill of the tenant, who left without paying his bill.
The account has not been put in your name?
If not, if you want to continue to receive power, the bill must be paid in full, before that happens.Most likely, by YOU!
Your landlord, and possibly "others" are stealing your power. ie. your line also powers common spaces, water pump,and god know what else.
When you go to the electric office, expect THIS:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,"NO HELP", just a list of excuses why it is YOUR "Problemo!!!!"
These are the kind of questions that newcomers should ask here on DR1, before, not after, they need information.
I am not blaming you,or others, I blame Dominican Culture!
The vast majority of us want to help people like you from making costly mistakes.
ASK QUESTIONS!!!
LOTS, of QUESTIONS!
Keep us informed, it is possible we can help you make this situation, less costly.
Cris Colon
$371!? No way that is correct, I've only been here for a few weeks, and I haven't turned on the AC once. I've run the ceiling fan, and that was perhaps for a few hours for maybe three or four nights(it has been off most of the time). I live alone and all I run is a laptop and I hardly keep the lights on. I will contact my landlord now to figure out the cost of this and when the billing cycle started, but no way in fking hell I'm paying $371 for three weeks. I will move out and I will promptly let him know it. So hopefully your numbers are off.
What's the arrangement with the landlord? Are you paying him directly for the luz or are you getting a factura in your name? How many units are in the rental property or is it a single dwelling? Something doesn't sound right.
Didn't you say that you can barely communicate in Dominican Spanish?
The power isn't included in the rent, if that is what you mean? According to him, I'm supposed to pay the bill. There are multiple units in the building where I live, maybe 5. I agree with you that something doesn't sound right. I just sent him and email and let him know that, I'm not paying this power bill and unless he resolves it he is going to lose a tenant. He told me before I got down here that the power bill would range from $37 to $65 per month if I didn't use the AC all the time. This bill is clearly off.
When it comes to this type of stuff, I don't allow people to rip me off or push me around which is why I have money to begin with. So my landlord has a choice, he can cover much of this bill which is clearly someone elses, and continue earning more from me over the long term via rent each month, or he can refuse, I can move out, and then he loses a tenant and $450 per month which is over $5000 a year. Now, I consider myself to be a pretty smart business man. If I were him, I'd cover this bill(or most of it) and keep getting the $450 a month, because we all know its BS. And these 2 bedroom apartments are not in high rental demand anyways, my gut tells me he will have a hard time renting it out to someone else. I always pay my bills but I also always refuse to pay BS bills where it is obvious I didn't use that much power. We'll see what happens and I will keep you guys updated.
By the way, this guy speaks English, he is not a local I think he is from the UK or something. So no there were no "communication" issues because everything discussed was done so in Spanish. I wouldn't be foolish enough to do rent or any real estate right now in Spanish with a local because my ability to understand Spanish is limited. But this guy clearly said between $37 and $65 a month if I don't use much AC and I have the email where he said that. So we'll see.
"Good Luck" with all that!!!
Just keep your calm!!!!
Dominicans HATE when people get really mad at them.
It only makes them even MORE intranjedent!!!
(Stubborn,Pig Headed,Devious,you name it,) Nothing Good Will Come out of you getting "PI$$ED"!
It will be nearly impossible to to do this, but you must!!!
Play it cool, and wait and see what is actually going on.
Don't play the "Blame Game".
There will be time for that later!
Most "Bad Things",(and there will be MANY!!!) that happen to us here in the DR are not as "BAD" as they seem at first blush.
For example, several years ago, a man appeared at my front gate with what he said was "His Title", to "My House" of 14 years,at that time!!
After having him killed, "No Mas Problema"!!!!!!
If you need a reference, "PM" me.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Just keep your calm!!!!
Dominicans HATE when people get really mad at them.
It only makes them even MORE intranjedent!!!
(Stubborn,Pig Headed,Devious,you name it,) Nothing Good Will Come out of you getting "PI$$ED"!
It will be nearly impossible to to do this, but you must!!!
Play it cool, and wait and see what is actually going on.
Don't play the "Blame Game".
There will be time for that later!
Most "Bad Things",(and there will be MANY!!!) that happen to us here in the DR are not as "BAD" as they seem at first blush.
For example, several years ago, a man appeared at my front gate with what he said was "His Title", to "My House" of 14 years,at that time!!
After having him killed, "No Mas Problema"!!!!!!
If you need a reference, "PM" me.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Last edited:
I think you will find that a gringo getting angry will make the problem worse and assures that you have a bigger problem on your hands. No matter what has happened you will be ahead of the game by being nice in this no win situation. Welcome to living in the Dominican Republic School, these posters know what they are talking about.
450$/mo? Living large for a young single guy in RD. You can rent some houses with a nice patio for 300-350$. No need for specifics, but what's your approximate location?
So by that you mean you can't share your power source with your lovely and friendly neighbors?. We usually do that down here. They don't mean wrong, they just do it to know how generous you are. Here in DR we share many things. We share our power, wifi, cups of sugar, we lend our girlfriends to the gringos during peak season (helping the economy, you know. During the off season they usually work as waitresses).
"Scorpion", Would you be interested in the "Duarte" bridge over the "Ozama" river????????
You can triple your money in only a few months!
How much of your security deposite do you think you will ever see???
I can tell you, "NONE"!
Just because he's a "Brit", if he rents property HERE, he knows the "Dominican Ways".
One of which is Never think about the money you will be loosing in the future, only in the money you can steal TODAY!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Follow my advice from above, and "Zoom's" from below!
You cannot beat the "Dominican Illogical,Ignorant,Foolish, Just Plain Stupid" system, at least not until you live here for many many "Anos"!!!!!!
REALLY!!!!
You can triple your money in only a few months!
How much of your security deposite do you think you will ever see???
I can tell you, "NONE"!
Just because he's a "Brit", if he rents property HERE, he knows the "Dominican Ways".
One of which is Never think about the money you will be loosing in the future, only in the money you can steal TODAY!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Follow my advice from above, and "Zoom's" from below!
You cannot beat the "Dominican Illogical,Ignorant,Foolish, Just Plain Stupid" system, at least not until you live here for many many "Anos"!!!!!!
REALLY!!!!
"Good Luck" with all that!!!
Just keep your calm!!!!
Dominicans HATE when people get really mad at them.
It only makes them even MORE intranjedent!!!
(Stubborn,Pig Headed,Devious,you name it,) Nothing Good Will Come out of you getting "PI$$ED"!
It will be nearly impossible to to do this, but you must!!!
Play it cool, and wait and see what is actually going on.
Don't play the "Blame Game".
There will be time for that later!
Most "Bad Things",(and there will be MANY!!!) that happen to us here in the DR are not as "BAD" as they seem at first blush.
For example, several years ago, a man appeared at my front gate with what he said was "His Title", to "My House" of 14 years,at that time!!
After having him killed, "No Mas Problema"!!!!!!
If you need a reference, "PM" me.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
I'm not angry, I'm serious. There is a difference. First off, this guy is NOT DOMINICAN. He is a British dude with perfect English. Understand the situation people before your post, so you don't make yourselves look foolish. Okay, he went on vacation to Europe before I got here, I haven't even met the guy in person(only by email). We agreed by email that I would foot the bill for power BUT he also said the power shouldn't range more than $37 to $65 per month if I don't use much AC(I haven't). So this bill is clearly way off.
The only thing I'm saying is, if this guy is smart then he is going to cover most of this bill. Why? Because I made it clear to him that I'm not just here for vacation and intend to stay. I lived in my last apartment for three years so at $450 a month that is over $15,000+. If you were a landlord would you throw away $15,000 over a $371 bill that you know the tenant doesn't owe? Not if you have a brain. So I've emailed this guy and calmly explained to him the situation but I'm dead serious about not paying this. Do not confuse anger with being serious, I'm not angry I'm serious.
My original plan was not to pay this much per month when I got here. What happened was, all the $300-350 homes you mentioned were unavailable when I got ready to fly here(lucky me). I found one for $300 but it is unavailable until sometime next year. These $300-350 per month places you mention, which are usually studios or one bedrooms, are super high in demand. All the ones in this building are taken. So, I had two choices: I could stay in the USA and end my $450 per month lease(my rent in the USA was the same as here), but I would go into a month-to-month, which would have raised my American apartment to $650 a month. Or, I could have terminated the lease completely, move out of that American apartment, and move to the DR where I would pay $450 per month. I chose to move to the DR which was logical, as I wanted to end my American apartment lease.
This apartment in the DR is bigger than what I need. However, my plan was to establish a "beach head" in the DR where I would come down, settle in, get to know the place, and pay continue paying $450 per month for a while before moving into a $300-350 per month apartment when one became available. $450 isn't super expensive, it is certainly more than I want to pay, but the apartment is way nicer to. My problem isn't the rent, a $300-$350 studio or one bedroom will eventually become available and I can always relocate there. My problem is this "surprise!" power bill. This was not expected, and that is what I dislike about it. I knew I would pay for electricity separately, but $371? Something is rotten in Denmark. All I know is, if my landlord is wise he will cover it. Otherwise, I will go rent from someone else and they will get my money. I saw an apartment here that had electricity included so it is possible to pay rent with the bill included automatically. Those apartment, of course, are rarely available.
- Status