El Caribe shows two approaches to the problems of Union Fenosa (UF) and the power distributors (EDEs). The common thread, however, is that even with the government takeover of the electric distribution, consumers will not see a reduction in their bills. George Reinoso, the Superintendent of Power, says that service and client care will improve, and that there will be an expansion into areas heretofore not serviced by the Edes. However, Reinoso and the Edes have been clear in that clients must pay for their electricity. At the same time, Reinoso told reporters that he considered the Edes to be an attractive investment. While saying that an international consulting firm would guarantee the accuracy of the electric meters, he stated that because the electricity rates are indexed to the price of fuel and the exchange rates, no reduction in residential electrical bills is foreseen.
The head of the Energy Institute at the state university UASD, Jose Luis Moreno San Juan, told his interviewers that he, too, felt that better service might result from the takeover, but that in the case of Ede-Norte, there was little that could be done due to the energy deficit in the area. Moreno San Juan felt that the allure of the Edes would be diminished by the obligation to mortgage the better clients, as a guarantee for the buyback of the UF affiliate shares.