Stealing electricity? Well, they know who you are…

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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It seems the electricity company which has been plagued by many people stealing electricity, they know who are these people. They are going to post all of them in the media (newspapers and maybe in others), according to Marrazzini. They will be added weekly.

 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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It must be a lot of people, which isn’t as crazy of an idea since DR electricity has been rife with theft since decades. That’s one of the reasons for power outages.

I wonder if it would be tied to their cédula number, that way everytime it’s entered in a system (job background check, loan approval info,at the airports if they start to enter the info in the computers, etc) it comes up!
 
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reilleyp

Well-known member
Dec 12, 2006
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Half the country is stealing power or water.
Stealing carries no consequences so why not?
If they are stealing water, it is the fault of the water company/government. When I built my house, they told me that I need to pay for water. I told them I did not want a connection since I have cistern. They told me that I did not have a choice. Even if I am not connected, I have to pay a water bill each month, since water belongs to the people/government. I think I paid a few months, and then that was it. If the government make zero effort to collect water bills, then obviously there will not be enough money for maintenance and repairs.
Ironically, there has been no water in Loma de la Pina for three days. Actually, not ironic nor uncommon. Three days with no water and several hours of no electric is very common.
 
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MiamiDRGuy

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May 19, 2013
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If they are stealing water, it is the fault of the water company/government. When I built my house, they told me that I need to pay for water. I told them I did not want a connection since I have cistern. They told me that I did not have a choice. Even if I am not connected, I have to pay a water bill each month, since water belongs to the people/government. I think I paid a few months, and then that was it. If the government make zero effort to collect water bills, then obviously there will not be enough money for maintenance and repairs.
Ironically, there has been no water in Loma de la Pina for three days. Actually, not ironic nor uncommon. Three days with no water and several hours of no electric is very common.
That is why I rather live on island. I can get freshwater well and built mini solar farm. Problem solved. I own everything on the island.
 

HDR

Active member
Nov 21, 2012
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Indeed been like this for a long time. Fun story... About 20 years I had a friend in Sosua that had a restaurant/bar with 6 hotel rooms and his bill went up 6 months in a row, without him not consuming more. He had 24/7 electricity thanks to a generator. I told him to tell me when the generator was running in the evening. He went up the stairs and checked the neighborhood. I shut it off, and the whole neighborhood went dark. Turned it on again and 10-15 small houses had light... He fixed the problem himself. Cutting cables with some local thugs (good men in this case)
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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The problem is the EDEs allow this to happen. If they are stealing power, cut them off. Fine them, jail them, etc.
Posting their names? Ridiculous.

Get rid of the EDE's and let for profit businesses distribute the power. Then see what happens. The problem is the EDEs.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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It must be a lot of people, which isn’t as crazy of an idea since DR electricity has been rife with theft since decades. That’s one of the reasons for power outages.

I wonder if it would be tied to their cédula number, that way everytime it’s entered in a system (job background check, loan approval info,at the airports if they start to enter the info in the computers, etc) it comes up!
Publishing names will not help. Turning off power to neighborhoods will not help where there is theft. That was tried and it failed miserably. It punishes those who do pay. That is wrong. And it won't stop the thieves.

Arresting , fining and jailing theft? That might help. The EDE's caused this problem and let it happen. The EDE's have still have stupid ideas on how it could be fixed. The people at the top of the EDEs management are a wholesale lot of dull norms.
 

chico bill

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May 6, 2016
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That is why I rather live on island. I can get freshwater well and built mini solar farm. Problem solved. I own everything on the island.
No man is an island, unless you grow all your own food, make your own clothes and don't drive.
I applaud you for cutting yourself away from failing DR infrastructure but at some point you have to have a connection
 
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Fulano2

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Jun 5, 2011
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Half the country is stealing power or water.
Stealing carries no consequences so why not?
“Half the country is stealing power or water.”
Like my old neighbour in La Vega always shouted at the guys cutting off the water..
“ el agua es de Dios!!”
 

chico bill

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May 6, 2016
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“Half the country is stealing power or water.”
Like my old neighbour in La Vega always shouted at the guys cutting off the water..
“ el agua es de Dios!!”
Nowadays you don't have to worry about Corraplata cutting water - they just don't pump any. A water company that can't deliver water - how 21st century.
Maybe they will fail up like the DEI water chief in LA with dry hydrants.
 

RDKNIGHT

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Mar 13, 2017
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It seems the electricity company which has been plagued by many people stealing electricity, they know who are these people. They are going to post all of them in the media (newspapers and maybe in others), according to Marrazzini. They will be added weekly.

posting them in social media will be a badge of honor here!!!
 

josh2203

Bronze
Dec 5, 2013
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Arresting , fining and jailing theft? That might help. The EDE's caused this problem and let it happen. The EDE's have still have stupid ideas on how it could be fixed. The people at the top of the EDEs management are a wholesale lot of dull norms.
This is a very complex issue indeed. I personally don't see how they can charge every customer as they should. Case in point, I know of a campo where some of my wife's distant family lives, where in fact nobody pays as they have never even had meters nor anyone from any EDE indeed. That has been the case the last 20 years. The basic infrastructure of electricity distribution would need a complete overhaul in my opinion to make the theft stop.

Another thing is that I'd think many of those who do not pay are families with even young children, so arresting and putting them away to jail would not be that straight-forward either... They might not steal because it's fun but rather because they cannot pay anything nor even have a meter.

You are right, EDEs at fault as they started it and now they are in so deep s**t nobody knows how to get out. Easiest solution is to complain and make those who pay their bills pay for the ones that don't pay as well... It has worked for years already...
 

JLSawmam

Happy on the North Coast
Sep 8, 2018
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“Half the country is stealing power or water.”
Like my old neighbour in La Vega always shouted at the guys cutting off the water..
“ el agua es de Dios!!”
But Dios did not install the pipes, pumps, wires, and all that! :)
 
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chico bill

Silver
May 6, 2016
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This is a very complex issue indeed. I personally don't see how they can charge every customer as they should. Case in point, I know of a campo where some of my wife's distant family lives, where in fact nobody pays as they have never even had meters nor anyone from any EDE indeed. That has been the case the last 20 years. The basic infrastructure of electricity distribution would need a complete overhaul in my opinion to make the theft stop.

Another thing is that I'd think many of those who do not pay are families with even young children, so arresting and putting them away to jail would not be that straight-forward either... They might not steal because it's fun but rather because they cannot pay anything nor even have a meter.

You are right, EDEs at fault as they started it and now they are in so deep s**t nobody knows how to get out. Easiest solution is to complain and make those who pay their bills pay for the ones that don't pay as well... It has worked for years already...
When your deep in s**t it is time to turn over.

You are right all the EDEs employees want is the suckers paying now to pay even more to cover their uncle Tito's free connection in the Campo.
That's where they go to drink rum, eat Lechón and slap young campo girl's backsides every other weekend.
It wouldn't be the same if they couldn't power their huge speakers.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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The government, THiS government, did promise to abolish the EDEs.
But they apparently don't have the balls to do it and put companies in charge that would cut off those that don't pay.

Complex? Not at all.
 
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AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,873
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South Coast
This is a very complex issue indeed. I personally don't see how they can charge every customer as they should. Case in point, I know of a campo where some of my wife's distant family lives, where in fact nobody pays as they have never even had meters nor anyone from any EDE indeed. That has been the case the last 20 years. The basic infrastructure of electricity distribution would need a complete overhaul in my opinion to make the theft stop.

Another thing is that I'd think many of those who do not pay are families with even young children, so arresting and putting them away to jail would not be that straight-forward either... They might not steal because it's fun but rather because they cannot pay anything nor even have a meter.

You are right, EDEs at fault as they started it and now they are in so deep s**t nobody knows how to get out. Easiest solution is to complain and make those who pay their bills pay for the ones that don't pay as well... It has worked for years already...

You’re right about campos not having meters, that’s not uncommon. Where we live no one does, including us. We get a fixed bill monthly based on the house size, etc. we pay the same whether we’re here or not.

About 5-6 years ago, Edesur caused a big stir by setting up meters for all the beach businesses on one kiosk. Then they started up the road to the houses. They installed a couple of meters that were promptly removed and that was the end of that. Most of the people here couldn’t afford even a few hundred pesos a month.
 

chico bill

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May 6, 2016
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You’re right about campos not having meters, that’s not uncommon. Where we live no one does, including us. We get a fixed bill monthly based on the house size, etc. we pay the same whether we’re here or not.

About 5-6 years ago, Edesur caused a big stir by setting up meters for all the beach businesses on one kiosk. Then they started up the road to the houses. They installed a couple of meters that were promptly removed and that was the end of that. Most of the people here couldn’t afford even a few hundred pesos a month.
They can't afford even a few hundred pesos a month? Well they can't buy a Lexus either. Should someone give them a car?
Electricity is a product, a commodity. You want it or need it then you must pay - that's a worldwide phenomenon.
I suspect it costs even more to run lines long distances into the hills of the campo than in urbanizations close to the main grid.
I can empathize with poor people, and I help several monthly and significantly.
But everyone must pay, it's painful for me too to pay higher bills.
Should I be punished and made to pay more so others, whom I do not know, can have the same thing for free ?

But what really chafes me more is paying for water to Corraplata that never comes. Going on 4 months now but they still send the little guy around to read meters that don't spin, and throw a 700 pesos bill on my porch every month just to have a connection to an empty pipe.

Abinader fiddles while DR burns