Electricity Costs

There IS a sliding scale but it ends at 300 kw/h. At that level the highest rate 24? a kw/h kicks in (US$0.24) = RD$9.40 more or less.
These rates have little or nothing to do with reality and are established in order for those who do pay to pay for those that do not pay.

HB

HB is partly correct electricity here in the DR is like having a partner [mob] you don't want, he gets most of the earnings, paid first and if you want to complain the fix is in with the local authorities

NicolasUK

You can find the energy costs for Edenorte at thier web site

Tarifas Energeticas

It is interesting to note that the tarriffs for consumers in DR encourages lower consumption.
This is the reverse of tarriff structures in the UK which get cheaper the more you use.

Hope that helps

Olly

It's more expensive than that on the east coast, but we have no power cuts.

https://www.cepm.com.do/

The cost of electricity in the DR is entirely different for industrial users.

Initially, when the company connects, the power company sends out an assessor. They then calculate the company's power requirements based on the equipment, # of A/C units in offices, plant lighting, etc they find on the premises.

They then calculate the company's potential power requirements, and that becomes the business's monthly base rate, whether they use that amount of electricity or not. (on their bills this is called "Potencia"). The per KwHr rates are substantially higher as well for industry. Their monthly bills contain the charges for "Potencia" plus the actual KwHr consumed.

If the company suspends operations for a month, guess what? They still receive the base rate billing (Potencia) for that month, whether they have used 1 KwHr of electricity or not. Our Potencia was typically the largest portion of the bill. Fighting this is tilting at a windmill, because it's in their contracts.

Also, there is a substantial deposit required at initiation of service (they tell you it is for the meter). The deposit can be as much as 3 or 4 months of their calculated Potencia, and I had friends in neighboring empresas with more than $100k per month Potencia. Should the business close, it is a long, painful fight to get the deposit refunded. I spent 2 1/2 years getting our deposit back, but I wouldn't give in and let the basta*ds win, and finally got their check.