Got Elec Bill

[tatom]

Electric bill came yesterday. 188 baht! Used 132 units.

Under 150 units...50% off, under 80 units....Free!

The bill is in my wifes name. I wonder if a farang would get the discount.

I dont know how the government can afford it, it must add up to quite a chunk of money overall.

Any farangs use less than 80 units?

[lazeeboy]

at one of my rentals no was staying last moth ,had a bill for 130b was told its free ,thankyou very much ,bill in a thai name ..

[JanAndersLarsson]

After first 1 1/2 year with very high electricity bills (up 2000 bath a month) they suddenly changed my meter under the pretext that the one I had was very old. My bills dropped to between 200 and 250 bath a month. I use 60-70 units each month. This month the bill was for 200 bath but the government pays. Good.

I thought it should be the same with the water but no. At least not yet.

[johngooding]

Here in Khon Kaen the August water bill has come with no bar code and a message in Thai saying it is free, and will be so until the end of the year

[tatom]

Hmmm... Never heard of a bad elec. meter in farangland. We had a broken meter once here and had free elec. I thought it would be a good idea to buy a cheap meter, and maybe it would not last long and we would get free again. Meters sell from around 200 baht to 1,000 I believe.

But I suppose a faulty meter can work against you as stated above.

Does anyone know how to check if a meter is working properly?

[Pattaya46]

Any farangs use less than 80 units?

I did

For more than one month now temperature in Pattaya is very good (for a farang )

Moreover I have most of time a very good little breeze in the condo

so I very rarely had to use the aircon last month

I received this morning the bill for 1 month until 23/9/51 : 0.00 : FREE !

In fact I used only 64 units (for a 100+ condo !)

for a real price of 196 + 14 VAT = 210 baht

Price to pay : ******0.00

Thank's to Thailand government

Pattaya46

[oceanrover]

Please excuse my ignorance on bills in Thailand, but what is a unit of electricity there? Is it KWh as in the U.S.?

Thanks.

Cheers.

Mike in Seattle

[Bangyai]

Of the things things that really suck up electricity some, like air conditioning, are obvious. In most homes, the fridge is the only appliance that is on 24 hours a day so if you have a big fridge.....you'll use more juice. Surprisingly, a little iron can really send the electric meter into a frenzy of spinning wheels. I once turned off everything in the house then turned on things one by one to see what effect they had on the spinning disc in the metre. Most barely caused any change but the number 2 culprit behind the air con was the iron. A very noticeable surge in speed. Still, its not used much so my pen ry.

[Pattaya46]

Please excuse my ignorance on bills in Thailand, but what is a unit of electricity there? Is it KWh as in the U.S.?

Yes, 1 "unit" is 1 kWh. They talk of units on the meter.

It cost about 3.4 baht with taxes and a little more if you consume a lot.

It can cost 5, 6 or even 10 baht in some residence or condo ! Be carreful.

[phitsanulokjon]

Electric bill came yesterday. 188 baht! Used 132 units.

Under 150 units...50% off, under 80 units....Free!

The bill is in my wifes name. I wonder if a farang would get the discount.

I dont know how the government can afford it, it must add up to quite a chunk of money overall.

Any farangs use less than 80 units?

The government are doing it to help "poorer" households - this has been measured by the ammount used over months earlier in the year as well as current usage.

We use approx 300-500 baht elec per month (depending on how much we use the air con) and water has never been above 170-180 a month for both houses (only 1 meter)

Our bill is in my wife and my name, my mother in laws' (who lives next door) bill is solely in wifes name.

We have free YEP FREE electric and water for 6 months !!

Couldn't believe it when we got last months bill and nothing to pay but hey not goinna argue !!

[gpdjohn]

Are all you folks in condo's? Any in a house?

I'm over in Chiang Mai and haven't heard anything of the free electricity, but have free water till the end of the year because of a low average bill..the govt freebee.

I'm in a 3bdrm house and average around 1400bt. mo. electricty.

I could use some free juice!

[phitsanulokjon]

Are all you folks in condo's? Any in a house?

I'm over in Chiang Mai and haven't heard anything of the free electricity, but have free water till the end of the year because of a low average bill..the govt freebee.

I'm in a 3bdrm house and average around 1400bt. mo. electricty.

I could use some free juice!

Both ours and mothers are houses.

Our average is a lot lower than 1400bt though - thats why you not getting discount or free.

Government logic is that if your average is low then you are poorer and need help.

[Pattaya46]

Are all you folks in condo's? Any in a house?

In my case I am in a condo in farang name (mine) and electicity = Free

[abdulrahman]

Electric bill came yesterday. 188 baht! Used 132 units.

Under 150 units...50% off, under 80 units....Free!

The bill is in my wifes name. I wonder if a farang would get the discount.

I dont know how the government can afford it, it must add up to quite a chunk of money overall.

Any farangs use less than 80 units?

None that I know.

The last 3 months I didn't have to pay the water bill for our house,BIG surprise,as we have the garden and the fishpond,but its the rainy season.

As for electricity 80 Kwh is really what a pauper uses,no big fridge,cutting off the air-con,showering with air temperature water,(and the scoop?),ironing your best shirt only.AND going to bed with the chicken/or spending the money so saved in the local Karaoke bar.

What a life!

[mijan24]

Here in Khon Kaen the August water bill has come with no bar code and a message in Thai saying it is free, and will be so until the end of the year

Yes this is part of the Governments way of helping "the not so well off Thais" & anyone else who falls into the low use range, I have been told you should take your bill to the elec or water authority office and they will tick off your account. (Don't know if this is really necessary but it always pays to cross your i's and . your t's in Thailand).

Edited October 1, 2008 by mijan24