Electricity

QueFlor

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What is the deal with the electricity in the Dominican Republic, specifically in Santiago? I just got back from a trip to Santiago and while I was there the electricity was cut every single day for hours on end. Why does this happen?
 

bob saunders

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I just spent 2 weeks in Jarabacoa and the electricity was off most days for several hours but on after dark every night until morning.
 

HOWMAR

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The cause of the problem can be blamed on theft of electricity. The electricity producers are able to collect for about half of the energy which they produce. The unpaid for electricty is lost mainly due to theft. The Dominican government subsidizes the producers to make up for some of this loss. Due to the rising costs of fuel, the deficit has increased and the electric producers simply turn off the circuits when they don't have enough revenue to pay for the electric produced. Logic would tell you that they should only turn off only the non-paying consumers. Logic has no role in the DR.
 

M.A.R.

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What is the deal with the electricity in the Dominican Republic, specifically in Santiago? I just got back from a trip to Santiago and while I was there the electricity was cut every single day for hours on end. Why does this happen?

It has been like this ever since I can remember, and that's quite a few years. :) if you go to the Edenorte website you'll see they have schedules for the time they turn off the power to the different parts of the Cibao region.
 

hifiman

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Logic would tell you that they should only turn off only the non-paying consumers. Logic has no role in the DR.

If only it were that simple.I would assume the paying and non paying customers are on the same lines,so shutting power to one household and not another would be difficult.
The whole system needs to be overhauled and that won't happen in our lifetime.
hifiman
 

M.A.R.

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If only it were that simple.I would assume the paying and non paying customers are on the same lines,so shutting power to one household and not another would be difficult.
The whole system needs to be overhauled and that won't happen in our lifetime.
hifiman

What's happening with setting up contracts? That's all the people were talking about when I was there now. They kept discussing what would be the best thing to do. It seems that now the power company is gonna set up contracts and those that haven't paid for months and years must pay before they get their contracts renewed.
 

HOWMAR

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If only it were that simple.I would assume the paying and non paying customers are on the same lines,so shutting power to one household and not another would be difficult.
The whole system needs to be overhauled and that won't happen in our lifetime.
hifiman
Not really, in most countries you can be arrested and prosecuted if you are found with an illegal hookup or reconnecting after being disconnected. They are simply afraid of enforcing this against the masses in the barrios.
 

hifiman

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Not really, in most countries you can be arrested and prosecuted if you are found with an illegal hookup or reconnecting after being disconnected. They are simply afraid of enforcing this against the masses in the barrios.

Yes but a lot of these hookups are not metered,so they would have to go to every individual household to see if they have a legal hookup or not.
hifiman
 

HOWMAR

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Yes but a lot of these hookups are not metered,so they would have to go to every individual household to see if they have a legal hookup or not.
hifiman

Wouldn't they have to go to every household to read a meter anyway? The point being made is that they have decided to punish those that pay their bills along with the energy thieves, rather than police those that steal their electric. HBO showed a documentary film concerning AES (the same company doing business in the DR) and how they successfully resolved the energy problems of Georgia (former Soviet state). They have said that would never work in the DR because they have no support from the government on enforcement issues.
 

drbill

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Dec 3, 2005
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For the long-timers... how many chuckle indulgently at such a "fresh" observation?

"Continuous electricity? HAHAHA! How naive!"

I remember calling the CDE emergency line 3-4 times a week, til it finally sunk in and I realized my neighbors were laughing at me.

I remember a real estate agent showing me a pretty nice oceanfront apt. near a stinky/ripe drainage site here in Pto Pta... "and don't worry about the smell, you get used to it!", she smiled.
 

Robert

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Time for a rant!

The country has no reason to have such bad electricity.
It's has a well developed economy that produces a lot of $$$ and has received no end of handouts, loans etc over the years.

The DR rates 173rd on the United Nations human development index.
That's pretty pathetic when you consider the resources and potential of this country.

Why is it so bad? Dominicans, sad but true.

The main reasons are successive Dominican polatitions bleeding the country for every penny they can personally gain rather than working in the interests on their country and people. Combined with the sad fact that the majority of Dominicans are totally apathetic to the electricity and corruption situations.

The bad news...

The situation is not going to change anytime soon, the powers that be do not have the will or desire to change the status que. Regardless of the massive negative effect on productivity and on peoples daily lives.

Look no further than the Metro. We have kids doing homework under candle light, while the government elites poor billions into the Metro. I wonder why?
Surely they have nothing to gain by having a Metro? They all drive round in chauffeur driven Lexus Jeepetas. I think we all know the answer to that question.

The DR will never be globally competitive and many of the current administrations dreams and ideas for the DR will remain just that, dreams, especially while we have an unstable electricity grid with some of the highest cost per kWh's in the world.

Electricity is one the worlds most basic utilities and without a stable source, you are just another wanna be or 3rd world country.

Yeah, I have had a bad week, we are constantly getting 6-7hr black outs.
We are in a middle class sector that pays it's bills and subsidizes the 55% of people that don't. Saying that, many have no way of paying, they have no choice but to steal, how pathetic is that?
 

anitaemma

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Aug 25, 2006
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Without accusing too much dominicans we must remember that in the past they got used to get it free. Balaquer gave us ........we still here people talking! The consume was not so high, houses were modests, no TV, no fridge, no heators and even no fans. With all these plus air-condition in modern houses has increast the consume too fast. As far they have all these organisationes involved it would be be solved.
 
G

gary short

Guest
The country has no reason to have such bad electricity.
It's has a well developed economy that produces a lot of $$$ and has received no end of handouts, loans etc over the years.

The DR rates 173rd on the United Nations human development index.
That's pretty pathetic when you consider the resources and potential of this country.

Why is it so bad? Dominicans, sad but true.

The main reasons are successive Dominican polatitions bleeding the country for every penny they can personally gain rather than working in the interests on their country and people. Combined with the sad fact that the majority of Dominicans are totally apathetic to the electricity and corruption situations.

The bad news...

The situation is not going to change anytime soon, the powers that be do not have the will or desire to change the status que. Regardless of the massive negative effect on productivity and on peoples daily lives.

Look no further than the Metro. We have kids doing homework under candle light, while the government elites poor billions into the Metro. I wonder why?
Surely they have nothing to gain by having a Metro? They all drive round in chauffeur driven Lexus Jeepetas. I think we all know the answer to that question.

The DR will never be globally competitive and many of the current administrations dreams and ideas for the DR will remain just that, dreams, especially while we have an unstable electricity grid with some of the highest cost per kWh's in the world.

Electricity is one the worlds most basic utilities and without a stable source, you are just another wanna be or 3rd world country.

Yeah, I have had a bad week, we are constantly getting 6-7hr black outs.
We are in a middle class sector that pays it's bills and subsidizes the 55% of people that don't. Saying that, many have no way of paying, they have no choice but to steal, how pathetic is that?

Good rant!!!!!!!!
 
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cork

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Aug 23, 2003
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here in Sosua......

Yeah, I have had a bad week, we are constantly getting 6-7hr black outs.
We are in a middle class sector that pays it's bills and subsidizes the 55% of people that don't. Saying that, many have no way of paying, they have no choice but to steal, how pathetic is that?


Here in Sosua Hills we have no power for 8 hours per day, while my next door neighbor in Los Cerros loses his 3 hours per day. Charmicos and El Batey each have 3 hours with no luz in the middle of the night. We have 2 periods of 4 hours each no luz alternating daily between 6-10AM and 2-6PM and 9AM-1PM and 7-11PM. Go figure:disappoin
 

AZB

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Jan 2, 2002
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I live in a residential area and to my surprise, we always have light here but where my office is located, downtown, comercial area in santiago, i hardly have any lights all day. That sucks as I need light desperately to work.
There was a huge riot in Pueblo nuevo, santiago this afternoon. this is a scary ghetto where many poor folks steal electricity. I guess people were protesting the long black outs. there were burning tires in the street, broken glass etc. I saw swat team in heavy riot gear but no one was willing to enter certain streets due to sniper gun fire. this was a scary situation. When I saw machine guns being carried by the swat team, ready to enter the barrio, I put my car in gear and left. I would hate to see bullet holes in my newly bought camry.
AZB
 

Robert

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Jan 2, 1999
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The problem is, many poor folks steal electricity as they have no other choice. They don't have a meter, no way of paying and no cables, infrastructure etc etc.

The distributors keep crying that they have no money to invest in infrastructure etc etc. Yet they continue to repatriate millions $$$ back to their overseas companies.

The cycle of BS goes on and on.... and the people sit back and watch the wheel go round and round. Nothing is going to change here in the short term, sad but very true!
 

bienamor

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Apr 23, 2004
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Not all steal

The problem is, many poor folks steal electricity as they have no other choice. They don't have a meter, no way of paying and no cables, infrastructure etc etc.
!


there are entire barrios that do not contain a single meter. The lines were put in years ago, and have never been metered, this does not really qualify as stealing I don't think(bad management yes). If you ran the lines to me and provided the current, and do not provide a meter is that stealing? Am I supposed to buy a meter, and install myself , then tell the company that I now have a meter come read it please. GET REAL
 

AZB

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Jan 2, 2002
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there are entire barrios that do not contain a single meter. The lines were put in years ago, and have never been metered, this does not really qualify as stealing I don't think(bad management yes). If you ran the lines to me and provided the current, and do not provide a meter is that stealing? Am I supposed to buy a meter, and install myself , then tell the company that I now have a meter come read it please. GET REAL

I disagree. There are barrios, even if you install meters, people don't pay and instead bypass the meter to steal electric. I see this in barrios everyday. My friend worked for government and also another for the electric company. They tell me that in some barrios, people will do whatever to steal. I have seen this myself.
The meters cost money and the electric company will not install them where people will steal anyway and not to mention, distroy the meters.
AZB
 

PlantaFULL

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Oct 21, 2004
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I don't know if the percentage of stolen electric in the DR is much higher then anywhere else, but Iam sure the same goes on in barrios and favelas of other Latin nations. This is just to say that this isn't a unique problem that cannot be solved. My guess is that on top of the mentioned problems the whole "alternative mafia" (read inverters, batteries, generators) is also sponsoring some jepetas to the key figures.
 

Robert

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I don't know if the percentage of stolen electric in the DR is much higher then anywhere else, but Iam sure the same goes on in barrios and favelas of other Latin nations. This is just to say that this isn't a unique problem that cannot be solved. My guess is that on top of the mentioned problems the whole "alternative mafia" (read inverters, batteries, generators) is also sponsoring some jepetas to the key figures.

Yes it can be solved, the problem is the country does not have the collective will to solve the problem.

Look at Colombia, they have a very user friendly and simple system.

Each part of a city is divided into sectors and given a number (1 to 6).
Each sectors utilities, water, electric etc are pegged to this number.
Sector 6 residents pay more than sector 1. Sector 6 residents are the wealthiest, sector 1 the poorest. Everyone has a meter, everyone pays something.

They have 24x7 cheap electricity and everybody appears to be happy with the system.

This stuff is not rocket science, the problem has been solved around the world many times. Unfortunately successive Governments here have made deals and contracts to suit themselves (corruption) and the Dominican people are literally left in the dark.