Electricity overcharged

[CHICO AIX]

Hi, in Hua Hin, the management of our compound is overcharging the electricity bill by 25% compare to the PEA price. The meters belong to the owner of the company managing our compound. We would like to pay directly PEA but the management refuses. and PEA is saying that they have a contract with the Management of the compound. There are 170 villas in that compound. It's a huge amount of money. 

Is it legal to overcharge electricity ? Why can't we have a direct payment with PEA ? 

Thank you.   

[terryq]

If the management owns the distribution infrastructure including the main supply transformer(s) then he will be paying more than the single residential rate for the electricity.

Do you know how much the owner is paying for the electric?

 

The law is that he can charge you the amount he is paying the PEA/MEA plus up to 5/10% (can't remember which).

 

If you estimated your cost is based on the  'single residential rates' then + 25%  is likely lawful.

 

[CHICO AIX]

Yes the management owns the distribution infrastructure including the transformer. 

We don't know how much theu pay PEA.

The reason why we want to pay directly PEA is due to the fact that the Management of the compound did not pay PEA and PEA has recently cut off the electricity for 3 hours. We know that the Management owes millions of bahts to PEA. But of course all of us we have regularly paid our electricity bill to the Management.  It's a nightmare. We don't know what they are doing with our money .....  

[terryq]

Not simple to just pay  electric co as you are not being supplied directly by them but through a third party. In order to get your own supply the electric co would have to supply you directly from their lines outside of your compound to a new meter provided by them. Possibly the 'owner' would not allow them to use 'his' poles for running the cables + the expense for owners such as you.

 

Do you not have an ownership committee for your compound or audits  to check where your money is going?

[Dante99]

28 minutes ago, CHICO AIX said:

It's a nightmare.

Move to a new place to live.

[CHICO AIX]

We are starting an owners committee now, looking for a lawyer in Bangkok, not in Hua Hin.

The Mangement of the compound replied to us that they are not obliged to disclose the accounting because they say that they are a private company....

  

[ThailandRyan]

Private community can be a problem, just like a juristic company running the community.  Are the water charges also exorbitant?  Do you pay fees for the common areas, and is security paid for by the management company as well as the roadway upkeep done by the management company.  These are all items the owners committee needs to take into consideration.  Never heard of the books being private if your paying into them.  You might want to hire an outside accountant and obtain an order for review of said company books.  

 

I know you can not name the location and development as it could be considered defamation.  Hiring an attorney from BKK might be costly.  What are your reasons for not looking in Hua Hin or in PKK since this province is separate from Bangkok.  Is your land Leasehold land or do you own it, as in a Thai spouse?

 

Look again at your original purchase contract to see how it is all laid out, is it one Company owner for all of the land or many owners with the lots broken out.

 

So many questions and issues I can see.  Good luck.

[CHICO AIX]

Water charges are normal. The land is a leasehold. We pay fees for the common area and security. 

In Hua Hin, everybody knows everybody, therefore we prefer a lawyer from Bangkok.

[ThailandRyan]

30 minutes ago, CHICO AIX said:

Water charges are normal. The land is a leasehold. We pay fees for the common area and security. 

In Hua Hin, everybody knows everybody, therefore we prefer a lawyer from Bangkok.

Each house should have it's own house book within the main office.  You and the other owners can and should be having an updated house book in whatever format they use, such as excel, sent or given to you monthly showing the capital outlays coming from your accounts.

 

Your trying to tell me that there is widespread collusion here in HH and all attorneys are connected to your property management company.  That is a big reach Sir.  Even if they know someone, it does not mean they would be prejudiced or on the take.  

 

BTW do you receive annual, quarterly or Monthly invoices from the management company?

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, CHICO AIX said:

Yes the management owns the distribution infrastructure including the transformer. 

We don't know how much theu pay PEA.

The reason why we want to pay directly PEA is due to the fact that the Management of the compound did not pay PEA and PEA has recently cut off the electricity for 3 hours. We know that the Management owes millions of bahts to PEA. But of course all of us we have regularly paid our electricity bill to the Management.  It's a nightmare. We don't know what they are doing with our money .....  

Sure, and something that you should have checked before moving in or buying.

[FriendlyFarang]

3 hours ago, CHICO AIX said:

Hi, in Hua Hin, the management of our compound is overcharging the electricity bill by 25% compare to the PEA price.

You are probably looking at the private household tariff, that's less than the business tariff that the management is paying,

Charging you up to 20% over what they actually pay is legal by law, so they are most likely charging a legal rate.

 

3 hours ago, CHICO AIX said:

Why can't we have a direct payment with PEA ?

Because your house is not directly connected to PEA, but the infrastructure of the management company is in between.

PEA would have to install cables from the public street to your house and a meter at your house, then you could pay PEA directly.

But the management company will probably not agree to the installation of the cables, so I think there is nothing you can do.

[bluejets]

Move...............works for me.