Restaurant owner shocked with 338,000 electric bill!

[rooster59]

Restaurant owner shocked with 338,000 electric bill!

 

Image: Sanook

 

A Chiang Mai restaurant owner has gone to the media after she was slapped with a huge electricity bill she is convinced is way off the mark.

Suda, 45, got the 338,000 baht bill for historical charges going back four years for a property she no longer uses as a restaurant in Hang Dong.

She had opened up a restaurant in another area.

She said that her monthly charges were usually 2,000 baht though they could rise to as much as 7,000 baht in the hot season.

However, in August after she had moved out she received the bill with the electrical authorities saying the meter had been read incorrectly. Now she owed them back charges.

Suda claims they have made a mistake and Sanook reported that there appeared to be irregularities with the bill.

 

Source: Sanook

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-10-21

[worgeordie]

It's always best to keep any receipts for utility bills,especially if paying cash

at 7-11,we have had problems at home and our rental properties,address on

bill correct, wrong name,bills they said had not been paid,but we had receipts,

sometimes it took 3-4 visits to office to sort it out,without the receipts  it would

have been  near impossible to prove we paid. that's both electricity and water.

 

regards worgeordie

Edited October 21, 2017 by worgeordie
correction

[Kerryd]

Wouldn't surprise me if some other people noticed she was gone and simply spliced into her line and stole the juice. I've seen some pretty shady wiring jobs with cables being spliced into street light posts and the like. 
I was sure at one point that one of my neighbours had spliced into my power line when I was away working as I had power bills that were the same as when I was home even though everything in my house was unplugged and the breakers turned off. If you aren't paying attention it can happen easily.

[impulse]

Good cautionary tale to monitor your own electric meter, just in case they misread it, or (more common) never read it because it's a PITA.  They estimate the bill for months at a time, then when they finally do read it- sticker shock.

 

$10,000 sounds more like someone slipped a digit when they wrote it down.

 

Edited October 21, 2017 by impulse

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

Good cautionary tale to monitor your own electric meter, just in case they misread it, or (more common) never read it because it's a PITA.  They estimate the bill for months at a time, then when they finally do read it- sticker shock.

 

$10,000 sounds more like someone slipped a digit when they wrote it down.

 

I always read our metre two days before it is due to be read, and can work out how much the bill will come in at after a week later when we receive it.

 

Sister-in-law up the road kept boasting how her bill has been coming in at around 50-100 baht per month for the last 6 months, with us telling her on many occasions to go and sort it, she decided she knew better, suffice to say she came over the other day with an electricity bill of around 10,000 baht back dated and due to an error with the metre, and asked us to pay it for her (loan), which we declined, with her saying, well, I just won't pay it....boo-hoo, enjoy the dark, no air conditioning, and cold showers sister-in-law, who knows best !

[cmsally]

How can you have "historical charges" when you pay the bill monthly ??

[impulse]

8 minutes ago, cmsally said:

How can you have "historical charges" when you pay the bill monthly ??

 

Easy, if they don't read the meter monthly.  They estimate the usage (anal extraction method- they pull a number out of their butt), then surprise the crap out of the customer when the guy finally does come to read the meter. 

 

Not in Thailand, but I've seen meters deep, deep, deep in hedges, and in fenced yards with vicious dogs where the meter reader couldn't possibly get to the meter even if he were so inclined.  (Edit:  As I recall, the bill would carry a notation that the meter reading was an estimate, but it was usually just an asterisk with a footnote in very tiny print)

 

Edited October 21, 2017 by impulse

[impulse]

28 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I always read our metre two days before it is due to be read, and can work out how much the bill will come in at after a week later when we receive it.

 

Sister-in-law up the road kept boasting how her bill has been coming in at around 50-100 baht per month for the last 6 months, with us telling her on many occasions to go and sort it, she decided she knew better, suffice to say she came over the other day with an electricity bill of around 10,000 baht back dated and due to an error with the metre, and asked us to pay it for her (loan), which we declined, with her saying, well, I just won't pay it....boo-hoo, enjoy the dark, no air conditioning, and cold showers sister-in-law, who knows best !

 

Back home, they had consumer protection laws where anyone hit with a massive bill like that because of estimated usage would be given several months to pay off the balance before the power company was allowed to cut them off.  After all, it was the power company's fault their bill was wrong.

 

[r136dg]

PEA is far from perfect, no doubt. We once got a bill about 20x more than average. The wife called them, a guy came out & re-read the meter and gave us the correct bill all within the same day. That service blew me away;-)

We only keep the prior month's receipt & occasionally check the meters in sync with them.

[cmsally]

I have only seen bills in Thailand that are read direct from meter. Our bill will have present reading and past reading , which equals so many units and price therefore ... etc

So every month you will have the digits on the bill which equal the digits on the meter at the time of reading.

[pattayadon]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Back home, they had consumer protection laws where anyone hit with a massive bill like that because of estimated usage would be given several months to pay off the balance before the power company was allowed to cut them off.  After all, it was the power company's fault their bill was wrong.

 

Impulse......  "You're not in Kansas anymore"

[impulse]

15 minutes ago, pattayadon said:

2 hours ago, impulse said:

Back home, they had consumer protection laws where anyone hit with a massive bill like that because of estimated usage would be given several months to pay off the balance before the power company was allowed to cut them off.  After all, it was the power company's fault their bill was wrong.

Impulse......  "You're not in Kansas anymore"

 

That's true, but it's something to try before going without power because they can't afford to pay the bill in one lump.  It's not in the PEA's best interest to see someone using zero of their product if payment can be worked out.

 

[realenglish1]

 Even at  7 thousand baht per month over  5 years  is only 42 thousand baht .

 

You can demand they give you the reason for the mistake and also why the correction with the corrected meter readings

 

If they do not let the consumer division of the Thai government work it out I am sure they will be happy to

[Epidemiologist Dave]

7000 baht a month is 84,000 baht a year so over 5 years the total bill would be 420,000 baht.

[glasswort]

2 hours ago, realenglish1 said:

 Even at  7 thousand baht per month over  5 years  is only 42 thousand baht .

 

You can demand they give you the reason for the mistake and also why the correction with the corrected meter readings

 

If they do not let the consumer division of the Thai government work it out I am sure they will be happy to

Obviously a maths scholar. 7000 x 12 x 5 = 420,000. At least it did when I was at school.

[green thumb]

Our PEA bill has a 6 month running history on it showing units used for each of those 6 months.

[Si Thea01]

On 10/21/2017 at 9:57 AM, worgeordie said:

It's always best to keep any receipts for utility bills,especially if paying cash

at 7-11,we have had problems at home and our rental properties,address on

bill correct, wrong name,bills they said had not been paid,but we had receipts,

sometimes it took 3-4 visits to office to sort it out,without the receipts  it would

have been  near impossible to prove we paid. that's both electricity and water.

 

regards worgeordie

I do the same, keep everything.  Just got my last electricity bill and used 8 units less than last month, and  5 units higher than the month before, yet my bill was dearer this month than last month. I haven't got around to cross referencing but I will today but are you able to tell me if PEA has increased the price per unit in the last month.  Looks like I might have a trip to the local office as well, although the increase is minuscule, if you give them a yard then they will take a mile.  If you can help thanks.   

[ksamuiguy]

Paying in cash, paper trail dodgie.

 

PEA needs to set up a way to pay on line by credit card or atm card so the customer has a record of the transfer at their bank.

 

[ksamuiguy]

I take a photo of my meter every month, so no LARGE mistake can be made without me seeing it, if you have a digital meter you need to make a video of the meter for about 15 seconds so all readings are displayed.

[Jimmyjames120]

2 hours ago, ksamuiguy said:

Paying in cash, paper trail dodgie.

 

PEA needs to set up a way to pay on line by credit card or atm card so the customer has a record of the transfer at their bank.

 

You can pay by direct debit, easy.

[Just Weird]

On 10/21/2017 at 1:23 PM, cmsally said:

How can you have "historical charges" when you pay the bill monthly ??

Easy..."she received the bill with the electrical authorities saying the meter had been read incorrectly..."

[Just Weird]

On 10/21/2017 at 5:11 PM, realenglish1 said:

 Even at  7 thousand baht per month over  5 years  is only 42 thousand baht .

 

You can demand they give you the reason for the mistake and also why the correction with the corrected meter readings

 

If they do not let the consumer division of the Thai government work it out I am sure they will be happy to

"You can demand they give you the reason for the mistake.."

Demand all you like, they don't have to give you a reason.

 

"You can demand...why the correction with the corrected meter readings".

That's easy to answer...the bill was corrected because the meter was read incorrectly and consumers have to pay for what they used, regardless of incorrect readings.  An incorrect reading doesn't entitle you to free electricity.

[Just Weird]

On 10/21/2017 at 5:11 PM, realenglish1 said:

 Even at  7 thousand baht per month over  5 years  is only 42 thousand baht .

You think so?

[MaeJoMTB]

On 10/21/2017 at 10:48 AM, impulse said:

Good cautionary tale to monitor your own electric meter, just in case they misread it, or (more common) never read it because it's a PITA.  They estimate the bill for months at a time, then when they finally do read it- sticker shock.

 

$10,000 sounds more like someone slipped a digit when they wrote it down.

 

Guy comes round on a scooter every month with an electronic billing machine, types  in the meter numbers, prints the bill, puts it in the letter box.

Where are they doing estimates? Certainly not in Chiang Mai.

Edited October 22, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[MaeJoMTB]

On 10/21/2017 at 1:29 PM, impulse said:

 

Easy, if they don't read the meter monthly.  They estimate the usage (anal extraction method- they pull a number out of their butt), then surprise the crap out of the customer when the guy finally does come to read the meter. 

 

Not in Thailand, but I've seen meters deep, deep, deep in hedges, and in fenced yards with vicious dogs where the meter reader couldn't possibly get to the meter even if he were so inclined.  (Edit:  As I recall, the bill would carry a notation that the meter reading was an estimate, but it was usually just an asterisk with a footnote in very tiny print)

 

The meters in Thailand are on a lamp post in the road.

[German farang]

On 10/21/2017 at 5:11 PM, realenglish1 said:

 Even at  7 thousand baht per month over  5 years  is only 42 thousand baht .

 

You can demand they give you the reason for the mistake and also why the correction with the corrected meter readings

 

If they do not let the consumer division of the Thai government work it out I am sure they will be happy to

Btw: 7'000 bath per month over 5 years is 42 thousend? Really? 

I thought it's might 7'000 x 12 (months) x 5 (years) = 420'000.....

But who know's, might here in Thailand everything is different (as my wife always complain ???)?

Edited October 22, 2017 by German farang

[impulse]

1 hour ago, MaeJoMTB said:

The meters in Thailand are on a lamp post in the road.

  

The meters in my building are on the ground floor in a locked closet.

 

[MaeJoMTB]

30 minutes ago, impulse said:

  

The meters in my building are on the ground floor in a locked closet.

 

Her restaurant doesn't appear to be in a condo.

[wgdanson]

I have an app called ECAS on my phone. Every morning when I take dog for a s..t, I look at the meter and put the reading in my phone. No problems possible, or am I a saddo?

Edited October 23, 2017 by wgdanson

[Kerryd]

18 hours ago, ksamuiguy said:

Paying in cash, paper trail dodgie.

 

PEA needs to set up a way to pay on line by credit card or atm card so the customer has a record of the transfer at their bank.

 

They've had direct billing for many, many years. I've had my power bills paid directly from my bank account for over 7 years now. Each month I get a small printed slip with my usage and fee noted, dropped in the mailbox by the meter reader. I like that it shows what my monthly usage was for the last 6 months so I can see if I've used more or less juice than in the recent past.
Later on I see the same amount deducted from my bank account. Couple weeks later I get a statement in the mail. I match that up with the printed slip and file them away.

I used to pay my power bill at the local 7-11/Family Mart. I still pay my water bill that way. They always give a receipt (usually stapled to the bill) so that you have proof it was paid (and a "paper trail"). Problem is, too many people can't be bothered with keeping track of such matters. Pay the bill, throw the receipt in the garbage on the way out.

Of course, later on if they run into a problem they have nothing to show to prove their case.

Some privately owned "apartment" buildings can be dodgy when it comes to power bills though. At a place I used to live in years ago, the owner would give me a hand written bill for my electrical usage. Found out that what they were doing was overcharging each tenant so that they didn't have to pay anything themselves (and they had 2 apartments themselves as well as running laundry shops on the ground floor). I pay less now in a 2 bedroom house than I used to pay then for a single "Thai style" room (with a lot less "stuff" in it) !