Trang locals vexed by PEA’s abrupt power cuts over minimal dues

[webfact]

 

Residents in Trang province are experiencing a wave of frustration following a stringent new policy by the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) that has led to the abrupt disconnection of electricity services and the removal of metres for overdue payments as low as 100 baht. Without warning, many are caught off guard by the aggressive enforcement that has seen meters removed en masse, leaving households in the dark and scrambling for solutions.

 

The PEA’s initiative, which was intended to provide relief by deferring electricity disconnections for residential users with monthly bills not exceeding 300 baht (US$8) for up to three bills, has been overshadowed by a more immediate concern. This policy, which began with the November 2023 billing cycle and is set to continue until November this year, was meant to alleviate financial burdens on the public.

 

However, the situation on the ground is heated. The PEA has contracted with private companies to disconnect services and remove metres from households with just one month of unpaid bills. This action has been taken without any prior notification, be it through written warnings or mobile phone alerts.

In the Mueang district of Trang province, residents have expressed their anger after private contractors were found removing metres, leaving many without electricity after just one month or as they entered the second month of arrears.

A recent visit to a village in the Ban Khuan sub-district of Mueang, Trang, revealed a household that had its electricity cut off and its metre removed in broad daylight on March 4, while the homeowner was out. Upon returning home in the evening and finding the lights out, the homeowner was shocked to discover the metre gone with an outstanding bill of just 1,123.51 baht (US$31).

 

The homeowner, who had no previous warnings, had never defaulted before but occasionally paid late, believing there was a three-month grace period. The sudden enforcement of this strict policy forced the family to spend a night in a hotel, incurring additional expenses, before settling the bill and a penalty fee the next day. By the evening, the same contractors had reinstalled the metre.

 

Meter removals

 

The contractors, from separate companies based in Surat Thani and Phatthalung, admitted to removing meters daily by the sackful, even for one-month arrears, due to the new policy. Their knowledge of the policy’s specifics was limited, and their daily tasks included reconnecting more than 10 households from morning to evening, reported KhaoSod.

 

In the contractors’ possession, metres and documents were found indicating that the same one-month arrears policy applied to all, with some bills as low as 153.71 baht (US$4). This rigorous approach to bill collection has caused significant distress among residents, exacerbated by the region’s scorching heat.

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-03-07

 

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[Crossy]

Guys, it's a "meter", "metre" is a unit of length.

 

Echoes here of the "parking nazis" in the UK (again private contractors) who go after little old ladies who overstay their parking ticket by a few moments.

 

 

[worgeordie]

You use the electric , you should pay the bill ,

44 minutes ago, webfact said:

, had never defaulted before but occasionally paid late, believing there was a three-month grace period.

You always have to make sure you pay the rent /mortgage to make sure

you have a roof over your head ,and electric and water bills as you cannot really live 

without those..but i suspect other things might come first for them ,nights out ,lottery tickets

Etc . I don't think the average person knows how to manage the money they have.

 

regards worgeordie

[Banana7]

Look at it from PEA's viewpoint. PEA has to pay promptly for generator fuel, sometimes in advance. If 10,000 customers are late or not paying, it can accumulate to a substantial sum. Sometimes customers never pay and PEA loses but really its the PEA customers who pay promptly that pay for the loss. Also, customers can go on the pre-authorized plan and have the billed amount automatically deducted from their bank account. Tough to live in this heat without a fan, AC or a cold drink. PEA is not in the money loaning business.

 

Some electric companies ask for a deposit upfront, and after a year or 2, they release the deposit if all previous bills have been paid on time.

 

[tomazbodner]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The homeowner, who had no previous warnings, had never defaulted before but occasionally paid late, believing there was a three-month grace period. The sudden enforcement of this strict policy forced the family to spend a night in a hotel, incurring additional expenses, before settling the bill and a penalty fee the next day. By the evening, the same contractors had reinstalled the metre.

So it's working.

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, worgeordie said:

You use the electric , you should pay the bill ,

You always have to make sure you pay the rent /mortgage to make sure

you have a roof over your head ,and electric and water bills as you cannot really live 

without those..but i suspect other things might come first for them ,nights out ,lottery tickets

Etc . I don't think the average person knows how to manage the money they have.

 

regards worgeordie

Got it in one... pay your way and live on the rest.

[rwill]

They should probably give people a notice first and give them a week or so to pay before they cut of thier utilities.

[sammieuk1]

People could well die of heatstroke for a 100bt you disgusting scum, who else can see some contractors may well get shot 🤔

[sikishrory]

I got the below SMS talking about removing the meter recently. My bill was overdue a week or two. 

I just assumed it was a scam website and still haven't clicked the link.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, sikishrory said:

I got the below SMS talking about removing the meter recently. My bill was overdue a week or two. 

I just assumed it was a scam website and still haven't clicked the link.

Yes there have been scams related to electricity bills reported on here recently. Delete the message and forget about it.

 

Our bills comes in on the 21st/22nd of the month and gives a 'due payment' date 10 days thereafter. I don't always pay strictly on time, but I don't leave it for much longer either.

 

It's a hard lesson for the good folks of Trang, but the word will quickly get round. Pay up on time.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

People could well die of heatstroke for a 100bt you disgusting scum, who else can see some contractors may well get shot 🤔

That's a bit dramatic isn't it? Folks with 100 THB bills are certainly not basking in A/C for most of their day. It fact most. most of them probably don't even run a fan. 100 Baht will just about get them some lighting!

[brianthainess]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

The homeowner, who had no previous warnings, had never defaulted before but occasionally paid late, believing there was a three-month grace period.

Well homeowner you believed wrong. I can't believe a family would stay in a hotel overnight, just cos their house has no Lecky. Go buy some candles or god forbid a torch that all phones have.

[brianthainess]

It is not that hard to set up a Direct debit with your bank, as I have done, and we get an SMS from PEA every month to say how much the bill is. And one from the bank, I also have a direct debit for my TOT payment. Why are so many just not doing as I do?

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, rwill said:

They should probably give people a notice first and give them a week or so to pay before they cut of thier utilities.

That's why they give you a Bill you have 7 days to pay at 7/11 after that you must go to their office and pay.

[sammieuk1]

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

That's a bit dramatic isn't it? Folks with 100 THB bills are certainly not basking in A/C for most of their day. It fact most. most of them probably don't even run a fan. 100 Baht will just about get them some lighting!

Gave a lot of time and help to a abjectly poor community in CM a few years ago at the very pointy end of sharp destitution try it if you think it's dramatic  🤔

[Moonlover]

1 minute ago, sammieuk1 said:

Gave a lot of time and help to a abjectly poor community in CM a few years ago at the very pointy end of sharp destitution try it if you think it's dramatic  🤔

I live in a village surrounded by poverty. I need no reminders of its affects thank you. None of them have A/C, few have fans and I haven't heard of a single case of death by heatstroke.

[digger70]

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

It is not that hard to set up a Direct debit with your bank, as I have done, and we get an SMS from PEA every month to say how much the bill is. And one from the bank, I also have a direct debit for my TOT payment. Why are so many just not doing as I do?

Yep ,Same here. all you have to do is to make sure that there's enough Funds in the Account.

Lady digger got an SMS from the Bank saying you are Short THB 10  

No problem top it up and go again.   😊

[Tidal wave]

58 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

I live in a village surrounded by poverty. I need no reminders of its affects thank you. None of them have A/C, few have fans and I haven't heard of a single case of death by heatstroke.

But it looks like you do need a reminder.

 

[Moonlover]

30 minutes ago, Tidal wave said:

But it looks like you do need a reminder.

 

I get reminders daily thank you. 

[brianthainess]

49 minutes ago, digger70 said:

Yep ,Same here. all you have to do is to make sure that there's enough Funds in the Account.

Lady digger got an SMS from the Bank saying you are Short THB 10  

No problem top it up and go again.   😊

I have one account to pay my Lecky bill and don't use it for anything else which is normally less than 2k a month, so once a year I make sure I have around 30k in it. job done.

[ujayujay]

I put my pit bull dog on the electric pole, let's see...