How Much Do You Pay For Electricity Per Month?

[hhfarang]

Received our second electricity bill today, over 21 k... that's 21% of our rent, pretty steep. Wonder if we should expect that much at 6TBH per unit , for a 200sqm apartment including balconies, 6m high under ceiling in the living room,aircon switched on full time with temperatures set between 23 to 25, and sometimes less in the baby's room. More than I expected anyway, will encourage me even more to head back to Sathorn in an all inclusive serviced apartment deal...

Well, I'm relieved to see that I'm in the majority instead of the minority, although I think the original poster should have had a few more categories above 4,500. Mine averages around 11,000 baht when I'm being careful. In the hottest months the highest bill I've received was over 17,000 baht, and the lowest one I've ever received in my current house was above 7,000 baht. It is a big house, and it has eight aircons, and I run one in the room I'm in all the time, but, in Florida, which is almost as hot as here, I had central air (the entire house) running 24/7 at 72 (22 celcius) and my bills were half what I usually get here. I think electricity is high in Thailand, especially Hua Hin where I live.

[dotcom]

My last 2 have been 7,xxx so I know it's no fluke. We are trying to cut back. Only start the big one in the living room if it's unbearable.

But one of the 2 bedroom units is usually on, sometimes both, I guess they are 12k BTU.

At my house I have seen 12,000 baht in April, the hottest month.

[longball53098]

Received our second electricity bill today, over 21 k... that's 21% of our rent, pretty steep. Wonder if we should expect that much at 6TBH per unit , for a 200sqm apartment including balconies, 6m high under ceiling in the living room,aircon switched on full time with temperatures set between 23 to 25, and sometimes less in the baby's room. More than I expected anyway, will encourage me even more to head back to Sathorn in an all inclusive serviced apartment deal...

Well, I'm relieved to see that I'm in the majority instead of the minority, although I think the original poster should have had a few more categories above 4,500. Mine averages around 11,000 baht when I'm being careful. In the hottest months the highest bill I've received was over 17,000 baht, and the lowest one I've ever received in my current house was above 7,000 baht. It is a big house, and it has eight aircons, and I run one in the room I'm in all the time, but, in Florida, which is almost as hot as here, I had central air (the entire house) running 24/7 at 72 (22 celcius) and my bills were half what I usually get here. I think electricity is high in Thailand, especially Hua Hin where I live.

I've said it before and I will say it again.

Learn to read your meter and figure it out. The average cost of a unit of electricity in LOS is about 3.50 bt. If you pay 6 then your rental company is charging you a service fee. But you can still figure it out if you READ THE METER YOURSELF daily if necessary

[philstone]

It's about time that this now inane thread be shut down. Really, the prices of electricity since the thread started compared to the current prices, are not the same.

Don't people have better things to do with there time than add current comments to a very old poll? The poll results are virtually worthless.

Most claim vast wealth huge homes farms offshores accounts made futures shorting the market and dollars made billions investing in china big real estates bigger lawyers and married to Hi So Women.

Be thinks you are all very poor and it hurts to spent 5,000 baht

Edited October 2, 2008 by philstone

[Naam]

Received our second electricity bill today, over 21 k... that's 21% of our rent, pretty steep. Wonder if we should expect that much at 6TBH per unit , for a 200sqm apartment including balconies, 6m high under ceiling in the living room,aircon switched on full time with temperatures set between 23 to 25, and sometimes less in the baby's room. More than I expected anyway, will encourage me even more to head back to Sathorn in an all inclusive serviced apartment deal...

6 Baht per kW/h is 50% more than i pay. nevertheless my total bill is less than half of yours for triple the airconditioned area, pool, pond pumps, deep well, housewater supply and garden irrigation.

what does "6m high under ceiling in the living room" mean?

[luisparis]

what does "6m high under ceiling in the living room" mean?

It means the ceiling is very high (equivalent of two stories in this building) and the volume to cool is proportionnaly important. Will double check at least once the numbers on the meter at least once though, but it''s not such an easy matter as the meter seems locked outside

Besides I know we are overcharged by the serviced apartment management for electricity, it really looks like the norm here. Has anyone managed tp pay directly his bill to the power supplier when the serviced apartment/condo rules are different ? I pay 7bht per unit for the office BTW...

[glyph]

Why would you either attempt or want to cool the entire volume of air? Cold air falls, and hot air rises. Cooling the air far above your head does not seem to be an especially intelligent thing to do.

[luisparis]

Why would you either attempt or want to cool the entire volume of air? Cold air falls, and hot air rises. Cooling the air far above your head does not seem to be an especially intelligent thing to do.

Glyph,

Do you think we have separate aircon units for the lower and higher parts of the room?

[Naam]

Why would you either attempt or want to cool the entire volume of air? Cold air falls, and hot air rises. Cooling the air far above your head does not seem to be an especially intelligent thing to do.

Glyph,

Do you think we have separate aircon units for the lower and higher parts of the room?

aircon is mounted much too high. as simple as that. the usual nonsense you must expect in Thailand.

[GayGordon]

5500 this month, we have one air going all day and one all night,.

[pab]

On this one, I guess I beat the record.

I use only one aircon in the bedroom during the night and sometimes during the day in the hot season.

But I have a lot of lights in the garden.

My electricity bill is in between 2,500 and 3,500 Baht per month.

3 months ago, it went up to 6,500.

After complaining, I was told that maybe there was some mistake and that there would be some adjustment the month after.

I received the bill the month after, a bit more than 10,000 Baht.

Electricians came to the house and during the checking, the whole "system" exploded, including the phone line,...

Now, it seems it is getting better.

No conclusion yet,...

We thought our electricity bill was fairly normal until we saw your post Bluecat. We live in our own home in Si Sa Ket area and have 6 aircon units (3 used every night except around this time of the year), 2 refrig, 3 TV's, washing machine that is used everyday, 2 water pumps that are used everyday, an all electric kitchen plus garden lights and our bill is usually 3,000 - 3,300 per month. For the amount of power we use we think our bill is pretty fair.

[cushendall]

My bills for my new place just seem too high. 3500 last month and about 3000 this month.

This is direct electricity, there is no middleman serviced apartment collecting a profit.

I run 1 air whenever I'm around. Probably 15-20 hours a day. My gf watches tv with a fan in another room, I have the radio on, and I'm on the computer almost all the time.

I had a place at Surasak with the inflated utility prices where I had a similar electricity use pattern and the price was in the 2000 range per month.

About how much do you pay per month for electricity? And what sort of use do you have?

Throw the mains switch at the fuseboard, then check you meter if its turning youve got passengers, if its not turning photograph the meter, the day the meter man reads it and do the same the next time he reads it, just to make sure theres nothing creative going on.

I have similar usage to you , my bill is never above B1800

[chokchai4]

House with 240m2 livingspace at nonthaburi

1 aircon 24,000 btu running about 7hrs a day at 18°C in the bedroom

1 aircon 30,000 btu running about 1hrs a day livingroom

3 aircons each with 15.000btu running not more then 5hours per week

2 fridges one large one small

5 fan running each running arround 8hrs per day

Two t.v's one 32'' lcd one 29'' tube running not more then 7hrs per day

2 computer running almost all day

washing machine load or two a day

few lights, dvd home theatre.

biggest bill 3500bht

average 2500bht

[longball53098]

House with 240m2 livingspace at nonthaburi

1 aircon 24,000 btu running about 7hrs a day at 18°C in the bedroom

1 aircon 30,000 btu running about 1hrs a day livingroom

3 aircons each with 15.000btu running not more then 5hours per week

2 fridges one large one small

5 fan running each running arround 8hrs per day

Two t.v's one 32'' lcd one 29'' tube running not more then 7hrs per day

2 computer running almost all day

washing machine load or two a day

few lights, dvd home theatre.

biggest bill 3500bht

average 2500bht

Without doing any calculations and seeing your KWH usage it sounds about normal to me.

[NotYetArahan]

We use so little electricity we don't have to pay ! Seems this is initiated by Thaksin so that the poor people (not using too much electricity) keep some money in the pocket. We use actually around 30 to 45 kwh per month.

[Foreverford]

...my last bill was only 350THB a month. Maybe something is wrong with my meter?

What you and I are paying monthly for electricity is more in line with what any of my Thai friends pay in similar housing situations.

Man oh man some wild ones on this subject and angry folks about "this is Thailand and that is the way it is like it or leave". Come on folks we're just passing on some info. Soooooooo this is Thaioland and this is the way it is. I have two studio condos that I connected and turned into a one bedroom two bath place. When I left for a while a few years ago I turned off both my circuit panels at the main switch and returned to bills showing usage for both units lo and behold went and checked the meters and they were spinning and a talk with folks said they'd come by and check the meters. Well it's two years later and noone still loves and noone stopped by but..... possibly a new ruling (we heard there is a new govt policy in regards to this??!) or who knows but now even without any love they have determined that I'm impovrished and I don't have to pay anything on one of my services because the amount is two low. It's my wife and I we do all our meals and wash and long hot showers. During a long term construction project when i was using the air con daily my combined bills never were over 400 baht and usually around 300 or so. We rarely ever use air con and now when my wife plugs in the iron to do her hours of ironing I make sure she uses the plugs for her service and not the one that is for my bath in the slum area of our dwelling. This LOS and you must be ready and willing to deal with anythiong that life throws at you. I'm still ducking and running and paying my big bills. Granted I've never had a bill even in the US that was over 3000 baht in my life but then again I'm the kind of guy that turns the water heater down at night and when everyonme was off to work and scholl in the day. So don't leave a light on for me when i'm coming you'll know I'm there when i trip on the front door step and bang the door with my head. Smile in the LOS

[sorensen]

70% of electricity in Thailand is generated from natural gas, the rest from coal and a bit of hydro power. Fossil fuel is fossil fuel, but since most people have a better intuitive feeling for a litre og gasoline than a standard cubic foot (SCF) of natural gas, lets try to convert your electricity bill into oil equivalent:

For each 1,000 baht of electricity on your bill, the power station will have to burn 71.4 litre of oil equivalent.So a 3,000 baht/month average usage is equivalent to 2,571 litre of fuel burned every year.

Using:

4 baht/kwh (average price)

1 kwh = 3.6 MJ

1 litre (oe) = 36 MJ

35% thermal efficiency including transmission losses

[jtp]

We use so little electricity we don't have to pay ! Seems this is initiated by Thaksin so that the poor people (not using too much electricity) keep some money in the pocket. We use actually around 30 to 45 kwh per month.

Sure,that's OK if you don't like airconditioning,big screen tv's,and all the thing's that make life just that little bit nicer....I would die without aircon,but some people have a far more simplistic outlook on life,and that's alright with me...Now excuse me while i turn the aircon up.......... But yes,"NotYetArahan"is correct when he say's that the government does not charge you for electricity if you are below a certain usage.

[Naam]

We use so little electricity we don't have to pay ! Seems this is initiated by Thaksin so that the poor people (not using too much electricity) keep some money in the pocket. We use actually around 30 to 45 kwh per month.

i have slightly less money in my pocket as we use an average of 85 kwh a day

[Pib]

We use so little electricity we don't have to pay ! Seems this is initiated by Thaksin so that the poor people (not using too much electricity) keep some money in the pocket. We use actually around 30 to 45 kwh per month.

i have slightly less money in my pocket as we use an average of 85 kwh a day

O' you energy hog! Here in my Bangkok home, I run about a 65 kwh/day with most of that being used by 2 split air's, two refrigs, two TV's running pretty much all the time. Throw in two tankless heaters for showers, liberal use of lights, and misc electronic devices being used during the day/evening, and I end up using around 65kwh/day or around 2000kwh/month average. My mid Nov to mid Dec usage was 1718 kwh (cool season) and that cost me 6,704 Baht (including all fees/taxes/etc), which equates to 3.9 Baht/KWH.

[Naam]

We use so little electricity we don't have to pay ! Seems this is initiated by Thaksin so that the poor people (not using too much electricity) keep some money in the pocket. We use actually around 30 to 45 kwh per month.

i have slightly less money in my pocket as we use an average of 85 kwh a day

O' you energy hog! Here in my Bangkok home, I run about a 65 kwh/day with most of that being used by 2 split air's, two refrigs, two TV's running pretty much all the time. Throw in two tankless heaters for showers, liberal use of lights, and misc electronic devices being used during the day/evening, and I end up using around 65kwh/day or around 2000kwh/month average. My mid Nov to mid Dec usage was 1718 kwh (cool season) and that cost me 6,704 Baht (including all fees/taxes/etc), which equates to 3.9 Baht/KWH.

based on the gadgets you listed i consider the usage of 65kWh far too high

[Pib]

We use so little electricity we don't have to pay ! Seems this is initiated by Thaksin so that the poor people (not using too much electricity) keep some money in the pocket. We use actually around 30 to 45 kwh per month.

i have slightly less money in my pocket as we use an average of 85 kwh a day

O' you energy hog! Here in my Bangkok home, I run about a 65 kwh/day with most of that being used by 2 split air's, two refrigs, two TV's running pretty much all the time. Throw in two tankless heaters for showers, liberal use of lights, and misc electronic devices being used during the day/evening, and I end up using around 65kwh/day or around 2000kwh/month average. My mid Nov to mid Dec usage was 1718 kwh (cool season) and that cost me 6,704 Baht (including all fees/taxes/etc), which equates to 3.9 Baht/KWH.

based on the gadgets you listed i consider the usage of 65kWh far too high

Well, it's actually 3 split air's running a great majority of the time...and during this time of year (Dec/Jan) the usage is around 1700KWH, 57KWH/day...climbs up to 2000KWH, 65KWH during the hot/humid season. When I compare the KWH usage/type of very similar gadgets I used in Hawaii and now here in Bangkok and a variety of other factors/weather/testing/etc, I feel confident my electric meter is giving an accurate measurement whether I like the amount of electricity my gadgets are eating or not. Cheers.

[Naam]

Well, it's actually 3 split air's running a great majority of the time...and during this time of year (Dec/Jan) the usage is around 1700KWH, 57KWH/day...

i see! it seems you like your beer chilled without storing it in the fridge

[samgrowth]

We use so little electricity we don't have to pay ! Seems this is initiated by Thaksin so that the poor people (not using too much electricity) keep some money in the pocket. We use actually around 30 to 45 kwh per month.

Free for me too. The scheme was initiated by Samak while he was with PPP (not Thaksin). Also free water, free bus and free train.

[Oldfield]

I moved into a house in Udonthani last year and my first bill was 43 baht!! The second month it was less!!!! I thought I was onto a winner.

The next week some guys from the electric board came round and replaced my meter as they said it was faulty....no sh1t.

Anyway, now I pay between 900 and 1500 baht per month. I use fans mostly, but sometimes use a/c when it's really hot.

At the moment its bloody cold, so I don;t use anything. 9 degrees c at the moment.... http://weather.yahoo.com/Udon-Thani-Thaila...ast.html?unit=c

btw, my last bill was 926 baht (273 units used) THat makes roughly 3.39 baht per unit.

Edited January 15, 2009 by Oldfield

[dotcom]

O' you energy hog! Here in my Bangkok home, I run about a 65 kwh/day with most of that being used by 2 split air's, two refrigs, two TV's running pretty much all the time. Throw in two tankless heaters for showers, liberal use of lights, and misc electronic devices being used during the day/evening, and I end up using around 65kwh/day or around 2000kwh/month average. My mid Nov to mid Dec usage was 1718 kwh (cool season) and that cost me 6,704 Baht (including all fees/taxes/etc), which equates to 3.9 Baht/KWH.

Compares to my experience.

7400 all summer - about 4500 now (baht).

[BigSnake]

On Average about Bt1200-1500 per month, when weather on the hot side open Air Con(3brs) can be as high as Bt2800. OUCH!!

[steadfast]

I believe the utilities company makes it up as they go along, although I do see the guy on his little moped come around and (pretend?) to read the meters outside the house. I hardly ever use the pool in the low season (or high come to that) so turned the pump off and just top up with chlorine when it gets a bit murky, and the bloody bill's the same! And no, I don't have any newly installed elec guzzling machine might be eating it up.

[Crossy]

I believe the utilities company makes it up as they go along, although I do see the guy on his little moped come around and (pretend?) to read the meters outside the house. I hardly ever use the pool in the low season (or high come to that) so turned the pump off and just top up with chlorine when it gets a bit murky, and the bloody bill's the same! And no, I don't have any newly installed elec guzzling machine might be eating it up.

Your bill should have the latest and previous meter readings so you can see the consumption (and check with the actual meter). Compare with this time last year when you were using the pool pump (bet you didn't keep the bills, Wifey does religiously all neatly filed in case there's a dispute [on a 4 year old bill, I think not]).

What sort of level is your bill, the pump may actually only be a small part of your total usage.

There's a link to the tariffs somewhere on one of the threads, I'll have a hunt.

EDIT about a year old so not fully up to date I suspect, but Post #372 of this thread has some tariff data http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1962650

[longball53098]

Here's a link to the PEA and their tariffs.

PEA Tariffs

EDIT by Crossy. I'm going to close this thread now. My reasoning: OP was in 2004 (pre-dating me) as such power prices have changed so the poll really is not really valid.

If anyone has a valid reason to re-open please PM me and it shall be done

Edited April 27, 2009 by Crossy