As part of its efforts to get everyone to pay for the electricity they consume, the Dominican Electricity Corporation (CDE) announced yesterday that poor families would be charged a nominal fee of RD$100-150 per month if they register their illegal connections. CDE estimates some 500,000 families currently receive electricity without paying for it, and claims that these illegal connections are a major contributor to the company’s financial woes. Even though the RD$100-150 will not reflect true costs, CDE feels that receiving even a symbolic amount is better than the cost of running battles with free-riders. Nonetheless, CDE stressed that it would do "everything possible" to get rid of all free-riders, including fines.
