Blackouts are back - Welcome to Santo Domingo!

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
341
83
dr1.com
Just heard the planta kick in again, hence this post.

I live in an "alleged" 24x7 sector (Julieta) in Santo Domingo. Talking to the neighbors and they are saying whilst I was away in China for 10 days, they have been experiencing 4-5hr blackouts daily.

I have been looking at cutting back my time in the DR dramatically, especially Santo Domingo as the traffic is a nightmare, the new residency renewal rules are pathetic, prices are rising and I honestly see no hope.

Foreigners have so many other alternative places to live, this one included :)
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
341
83
dr1.com
So where is it for you... Colombia?

I travel so much these days, I have no idea??? hehe

The only place I would consider if I was going to start again here is Punta Cana.

I will be in Colombia for a few weeks at the end of the year, lets see :)
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
Just heard the planta kick in again, hence this post.

I live in an "alleged" 24x7 sector (Julieta) in Santo Domingo. Talking to the neighbors and they are saying whilst I was away in China for 10 days, they have been experiencing 4-5hr blackouts daily.

I have been looking at cutting back my time in the DR dramatically, especially Santo Domingo as the traffic is a nightmare, the new residency renewal rules are pathetic, prices are rising and I honestly see no hope.

Foreigners have so many other alternative places to live, this one included :)

On traffic I don't agree, I think it has improved a lot, but on prices, blackouts and the immigration rules I agree 100%, there doesn't pass a day that my wife and I don't discuss if we should find a way to move to the states or back to Europe, or if we have no other choice than stay.
 

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
191
0
38
yahoomail.com
"BOSTON" is looking better & better these days!!!!
Section 8 housing, "Obama Care",Food Stamps,Free cel phone,Fuel Oil Assistance,Catholic Charities,why pay when you can get everything FREE???
Got my EEDESUR bill today, ONLY 18,000 pesos!
And with POOR SERVICE too!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

belgiank

Silver
Jun 13, 2009
3,251
103
0
Why complain about the electricity?

This month I went to pay my bill, to be told I did not pay for August as yet. I went to the car, got the bill and prove of payment and showed it to them. They apologized, AND CUT ME OFF THE NEXT DAY.

So back to the office... they apologized, and it took them 2 days to reconnect me. AND THEY CHARGED ME A RECONNECTION FEE.

Just got the new bill. It says I did not pay for september. Oh well... back to their office again. I am thinking of cancelling my rental contract and just live in the Edenorte office.

Went to cancel my Orange Flybox contract, which was ended. Of course they could not do this in Sosua, so I had to drive to POP. There they told me I had not paid a deposit, while I paid a 2 month deposit. Went back to the office in Sosua, and there they showed me, on their computers, I had paid a 2 month deposit. Solution... call 555 option 7 option 0...

There we go again... Mind you, the office of Orange in POP is nicer to live in...

BelgianK
 
Dec 26, 2011
8,071
0
0
What part of Colombia do you like? I recommend the hot springs(Termales de Santa Rosa) outside of Pereira if you get a chance.
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
I had the best thing ever, I paid my Edesur bill by Internet banking using a Credit card of a local bank. The next day I see the charge hasn't been applied, I still owe Edesur but the free space of my credit card has gone down by the amount of the bill. I call the bank, they confirm the payment has been made, and give me an autorization code, I call Edesur an provide them the code to prevent them from cutting me off. A few days later my Edesur debt is removed, but the charge to the card is still not made and the credit space is back to where it was before making the payment. I love paying bills like that.....

I don't dare to tell them anything because either one of the two I tell (bank or Edesur) will gladly take the money and two weeks later I will get a message from the other party that I owe them...moral dilemma but I will just wait and see what happens when they find out.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
It's first world and run by private generators.
A little more expensive, but guaranteed.
Worth every penny not to have to live with the stress of apagones. Our power has never gone out for more than a couple of minutes in the 4+ years we've lived here. If you live in a well ventilated apartment like ours you rarely need to use a/c, and if you have somewhere to hang out washing you don't need a clothes dryer. Our bills range from about US$40 in winter months to US$80 in the summer months.
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
5,485
338
63
I have got used to being off a minimum of 12 hours a day - one lot of 7 hours and one of 5. The inverter usually kicks in, unless it is having a bad day and we tend to turn the fridge off some of the time we are on inverter. Only downside is that we can't use the microwave, other electrical appliance nor the hot water heater when we are on inverter. This means cold showers most mornings unless I wait till either 10 am or 1pm as the electricity is off alternate days until those times.

It is not the end of the world if you are organised, although if the inverter is broken, I end up sitting in the colmado on a rice sack to work on line as they have 24/7 power. Bills range from 500RD$ to 1200RD$ a month.

Matilda
 

yapask1

New member
Jul 23, 2012
477
0
0
More blackouts are needed. Dominicans waste power like there is no tomorrow. Some gringos are as bad!

yapask1
 

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
11,009
2
38
Why complain about the electricity?

This month I went to pay my bill, to be told I did not pay for August as yet. I went to the car, got the bill and prove of payment and showed it to them. They apologized, AND CUT ME OFF THE NEXT DAY.

So back to the office... they apologized, and it took them 2 days to reconnect me. AND THEY CHARGED ME A RECONNECTION FEE.

Just got the new bill. It says I did not pay for september. Oh well... back to their office again. I am thinking of cancelling my rental contract and just live in the Edenorte office.

Went to cancel my Orange Flybox contract, which was ended. Of course they could not do this in Sosua, so I had to drive to POP. There they told me I had not paid a deposit, while I paid a 2 month deposit. Went back to the office in Sosua, and there they showed me, on their computers, I had paid a 2 month deposit. Solution... call 555 option 7 option 0...

There we go again... Mind you, the office of Orange in POP is nicer to live in...

BelgianK

Good for you BelgianK! Always keep your receipts.They tried to tell my father that he owed for the month
of Feb.mind you in July!Good thing he always keeps his receipts.He showed them proof of payment, other
wise he would've had to pay.

Sometimes I think it's done on purpose, to try and get money out of someone,it happens too often.
 

davetuna

Bronze
Jun 19, 2012
1,071
0
0
Cabarete, Dominican Republic
listen, when I go down to the malecon in puerto plata and buy a beer or two, they have to use a calculator to add up two drinks.

how are they expected to run an electric company if they cant even count?
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
More blackouts are needed. Dominicans waste power like there is no tomorrow. Some gringos are as bad!

yapask1
More power is consumed and pollution emitted in blackouts due to the use of inversores and plantas.
 

nas

Bronze
Jul 1, 2009
559
1
18
"BOSTON" is looking better & better these days!!!!
Section 8 housing, "Obama Care",Food Stamps,Free cel phone,Fuel Oil Assistance,Catholic Charities,why pay when you can get everything FREE???
Got my EEDESUR bill today, ONLY 18,000 pesos!
And with POOR SERVICE too!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

I agree; and we are getting at least four more years of the same.