- Thread starter Johnny Magpie
- Start date
Rumors Heard in the Hall
Lack of Fuel
Many power companies in the DR make claims of having no fuel. It is a great way to press the government for payment without getting the people upset with the power company.
When Smith Enron shut down for the the first time several years ago, they took the honesty approach and declared they were not running because they were not getting paid. They received a lot of bad press for it.
Companies learnt from this, and began declaring they were not running because they were out of fuel, and could not buy more unless they were paid (clever) - relieving them of blame since it wasn't by choice...they were just out of fuel...poor poor power companies, right?
Then someone got caught! They made the claim, the military showed up and dipped the tanks - voila! Plenty of fuel.
The current claims are one of the two scenarios. Root cause of the chaos, whether there is fuel in the tanks or not, is lack of payment. Money makes the world go round, and keeps the lights on.
There is talk of blame on Venezuela, etc. resulting in a supply shortage - This is unbelievable. Where there is money, there will be fuel. Do you think that all the rest of the Caribbean islands are without fuel? No chance.
my two megawatts,
m
Many power companies in the DR make claims of having no fuel. It is a great way to press the government for payment without getting the people upset with the power company.
When Smith Enron shut down for the the first time several years ago, they took the honesty approach and declared they were not running because they were not getting paid. They received a lot of bad press for it.
Companies learnt from this, and began declaring they were not running because they were out of fuel, and could not buy more unless they were paid (clever) - relieving them of blame since it wasn't by choice...they were just out of fuel...poor poor power companies, right?
Then someone got caught! They made the claim, the military showed up and dipped the tanks - voila! Plenty of fuel.
The current claims are one of the two scenarios. Root cause of the chaos, whether there is fuel in the tanks or not, is lack of payment. Money makes the world go round, and keeps the lights on.
There is talk of blame on Venezuela, etc. resulting in a supply shortage - This is unbelievable. Where there is money, there will be fuel. Do you think that all the rest of the Caribbean islands are without fuel? No chance.
my two megawatts,
m
About what "verge" are you talking about
Here, Santo Domingo, in one of the neighborhoods of Arroyo Hondo, we have had only three hours of power on 11-12-03. So, the blackout must be already happening
Here, Santo Domingo, in one of the neighborhoods of Arroyo Hondo, we have had only three hours of power on 11-12-03. So, the blackout must be already happening
3 hours is a blessing. What we are talking about is not one hour of power for 2 - 3 weeks. Which means no water. The tinaco's will run dry as will many people's patients.
Marc makes a good point, that this may well be a mere tactic to get the government to pay up. A Dominican friend pointed this out to me yesterday when I asked her about the situation.
If it really is a ruse, I certainly hope it works.
Chiri
If it really is a ruse, I certainly hope it works.
Chiri
Got tired of tuning my "Planta" on and off last night.
So I just let it run all night long!I like the term "Conspicuous Concumption" come to mind? I have diesel,propane,and Gasoline stored for the long "Hipolito Winter"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today I'll get to the rice,beans,and cooking oil reserves ,AGAIN!!!
I remain optomistic in the "Long Term"! We have to be,expecting a baby this week!!!!!!
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So I just let it run all night long!I like the term "Conspicuous Concumption" come to mind? I have diesel,propane,and Gasoline stored for the long "Hipolito Winter"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today I'll get to the rice,beans,and cooking oil reserves ,AGAIN!!!
I remain optomistic in the "Long Term"! We have to be,expecting a baby this week!!!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Re: Got tired of tuning my "Planta" on and off last night.
Alba went out yesterday for cooking gas with Jose and Cristian. They drove to Bella Vista, Montellano, Puerto Plata, and then all the way back to Sabeneta. No one had any gas to sell. They ended up driving all the way to Moca to fill our tanks! And she said they had to wait in a long line of hundreds of people, many with trucks full of cylinders, just to get it. What fun.
Tom (aka XR)
I thought it was about time we heard some news on the subject! Good luck my friend!Criss Colon said:
Alba went out yesterday for cooking gas with Jose and Cristian. They drove to Bella Vista, Montellano, Puerto Plata, and then all the way back to Sabeneta. No one had any gas to sell. They ended up driving all the way to Moca to fill our tanks! And she said they had to wait in a long line of hundreds of people, many with trucks full of cylinders, just to get it. What fun.
Tom (aka XR)
No problems here.
I dont wanna upset you 'happy camper' folks too much up on the north but the only time we lost power here in Juan Dolio (S. Coast) was last weekend. Saturday about 5 hours and Sunday 8 hours. The weeks before that about one hour a week.
Since then our lights have stayed on all this week without so much as a flicker!
All fuels are available to buy without problems down here just now, but expecting the worst so busy getting ready. I recon we might be the last place to loose power due to the resorts here and the fact this is Hippo's weekend home place.
I dont wanna upset you 'happy camper' folks too much up on the north but the only time we lost power here in Juan Dolio (S. Coast) was last weekend. Saturday about 5 hours and Sunday 8 hours. The weeks before that about one hour a week.
Since then our lights have stayed on all this week without so much as a flicker!
All fuels are available to buy without problems down here just now, but expecting the worst so busy getting ready. I recon we might be the last place to loose power due to the resorts here and the fact this is Hippo's weekend home place.
Maybe this is not worth even mentioning, but don't people think it is strange that with all this talk of 50% supply deficit, fuel shortages, threatened blackout blah blah blah there is not even a hint of asking or encouraging people to cut down on electricity and petrol consumption so as to save energy?
Sensible environmental reasons aside, it means you save money and the fuel lasts longer.
No? Thought not.
Chiri
Sensible environmental reasons aside, it means you save money and the fuel lasts longer.
No? Thought not.
Chiri
Scr$w That!
Look. An economy can't survive withut ENERGY. Period. End of sentence.
Businesses here are going down the tubes because they can't function anymore. It's the life-blood of business for crying out loud. Conserve? Please! Conserve WHAT? We have 1-2 hours of electricty from the grid per day. How much more should I cut back. Give me a break.
Monday, I have a 60KW generator coming. I am paying the $6500 it will cost me in part because I will no longer conserve ANYTHING. I will have as much light, air conditioning, TV, electric appliances, et al, as I want and nobody is going to tell me to turn it off to save the planet, and I won't be worrying about having to go without air-conditioning, my pool fountain, or the Black & Decker electric guebos for the chicas so I won't be shocked by the bill at the end of the month.
Like I said, Scr$w That! PROBLEM SOLVED.
Tom (aka XR)
Look. An economy can't survive withut ENERGY. Period. End of sentence.
Businesses here are going down the tubes because they can't function anymore. It's the life-blood of business for crying out loud. Conserve? Please! Conserve WHAT? We have 1-2 hours of electricty from the grid per day. How much more should I cut back. Give me a break.
Monday, I have a 60KW generator coming. I am paying the $6500 it will cost me in part because I will no longer conserve ANYTHING. I will have as much light, air conditioning, TV, electric appliances, et al, as I want and nobody is going to tell me to turn it off to save the planet, and I won't be worrying about having to go without air-conditioning, my pool fountain, or the Black & Decker electric guebos for the chicas so I won't be shocked by the bill at the end of the month.
Like I said, Scr$w That! PROBLEM SOLVED.
Tom (aka XR)
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I agree, those that don't have power for hours and days on end its impossible to conserve what you haven't got. Even when power is on, the expats here are more careful then ever due to the cost of the electric even when they do have it.
There is a huge uptake in the amount of homes that use powersaving bulbs now then there was even a year ago and they are a must if you run an invertor using just 1/5th of the power of regular bulbs. Even those that have AC tend only run it now on the hottest summer nights where as before the AC was on whenever someone was at home, likewise the water heater is only switched on when needed and not just left on constant.
Pool pump run times have been shortened too and I noticed with my European and American friends, so really there is nothing more we can do to be eco-friendly.
People are just more careful with electric usage here then we would be in other countries as its a rare comidity now days. Maybe I'm not the best person to really portray this from the heart as we have been barely effected here other then the massive cost increase over the last 18 months.
There is a huge uptake in the amount of homes that use powersaving bulbs now then there was even a year ago and they are a must if you run an invertor using just 1/5th of the power of regular bulbs. Even those that have AC tend only run it now on the hottest summer nights where as before the AC was on whenever someone was at home, likewise the water heater is only switched on when needed and not just left on constant.
Pool pump run times have been shortened too and I noticed with my European and American friends, so really there is nothing more we can do to be eco-friendly.
People are just more careful with electric usage here then we would be in other countries as its a rare comidity now days. Maybe I'm not the best person to really portray this from the heart as we have been barely effected here other then the massive cost increase over the last 18 months.
Fair enough XR, I share your frustration, but you should understand that I am not talking about foreigners who usually have sensible power consumption habits.
It is the widespread practice (public, commercial and private individuals) of leaving lights on day and night - case in point, the spotlights on the government offices on Av Mexico, needless use of excessive air conditioning (anyone been to the cinema lately? Did you read AZB's "rats" post?) My neighbours run the a/c all night even on the coolest nights. I imagine them huddled in fur coats under goosedown quilts! Most people I know leave fans and lights on all day in rooms they are not using. Then they complain about the bills!
There are ways of using power sensibly without depriving yourself of anything. And I was not calling on anyone to save the planet in this particular instance: I was appealing to the much more immediate concerns of money saving and making what little fuel there is last longer.
Chiri
It is the widespread practice (public, commercial and private individuals) of leaving lights on day and night - case in point, the spotlights on the government offices on Av Mexico, needless use of excessive air conditioning (anyone been to the cinema lately? Did you read AZB's "rats" post?) My neighbours run the a/c all night even on the coolest nights. I imagine them huddled in fur coats under goosedown quilts! Most people I know leave fans and lights on all day in rooms they are not using. Then they complain about the bills!
There are ways of using power sensibly without depriving yourself of anything. And I was not calling on anyone to save the planet in this particular instance: I was appealing to the much more immediate concerns of money saving and making what little fuel there is last longer.
Chiri
Point taken, Chiri.
'Hay luz' so infrequently around here at times lately it's hard to tell whether the locals are leaving lights on needlessly or not! Since I will have to pay fuel to run our new generator we'll have 60KW available and for the first time ever for me really it won't make a hill of bean's worth of difference in my operating cost if I turn off a TV when I am not watching it or leave it run. So it'll be interesting adjusting to that.
Tom (aka XR)
'Hay luz' so infrequently around here at times lately it's hard to tell whether the locals are leaving lights on needlessly or not! Since I will have to pay fuel to run our new generator we'll have 60KW available and for the first time ever for me really it won't make a hill of bean's worth of difference in my operating cost if I turn off a TV when I am not watching it or leave it run. So it'll be interesting adjusting to that.
Tom (aka XR)
So, what's been heard lately?
Johnny,
Where are you and why haven't we heard any new rumors lately? What about the major electricity cost increases? Who is the most likely competition for Hippo? Is there going to be a shortage of Presidente?
Inquiring minds want to know!
Dianne
Johnny,
Where are you and why haven't we heard any new rumors lately? What about the major electricity cost increases? Who is the most likely competition for Hippo? Is there going to be a shortage of Presidente?
Inquiring minds want to know!
Dianne