8239 Baht Electricity Bill For 2 Bedroom Shophouse?

[Aurelia]

Was hoping someone would have some insight....

I rent part of a building from a landlady who basically has me handling my 'own' bills. They've got what is my 'unit number' on them. I live in most part of a two bedroom shophouse, I only use one bedroom @ night, the AC is on for about 8 hours and then I use the A/C downstairs for most of the day ( I work from home. ) Don't use anything kitchen wise, except the fridge and kettle.

My bill has gone from about 3000 baht per month to over 8000 baht within a six month period. I haven't increased usage at all. It's actually gone done. Three months ago my bill went up by 50% and it keeps going up. When the bill first came at over 7000 baht last month, I went to the landlady who simply replied ' I don't believe you', I showed her the bill and she kind of brushed it off. This month, when I asked her, she just said it was reasonable? Everyone else I've asked thinks it's ridiculous? Oddly, I've also gotten double charged on my internet bill this month. True insists I have two charges, both to my unit. The bills have my unit number but are not my name, I don't read Thai and I hate to come across as stupid but I have no idea what to do? Is there a way to take up meter reading with the electric company hear? And how on earth do I convince true that I only have one connection point and one plan? WTH is going on?

[Jdietz]

Over the last 6 months you may have noticed it has become a tad warmer outside on average, meaning your air conditioners have to work quite a bit harder to keep up.

But to be sure no one is leeching from you:

1) Switch off everything and see if your meter is still moving

2) Switch off the mains breaker and see who comes complaining / what other places surrounding you suddenly get dark...

[Aurelia]

Over the last 6 months you may have noticed it has become a tad warmer outside on average, meaning your air conditioners have to work quite a bit harder to keep up.

But to be sure no one is leeching from you:

1) Switch off everything and see if your meter is still moving

2) Switch off the mains breaker and see who comes complaining / what other places surrounding you suddenly get dark...

I didn't even think of that, thank you so much!

You know... the last time I switched my wireless modem password, my landlady called me and said I needed to let her computer tech in b/c my modem had messed up her modem. I really hope it's nothing on her end. She and I are pretty chummy.

[PoorSucker]

How much you pay per unit?

I pay direct to government 3 baht/unit.

My friend pays to his landlady 7 baht/unit.

[sevenhills]

Over the last 6 months you may have noticed it has become a tad warmer outside on average, meaning your air conditioners have to work quite a bit harder to keep up.

But to be sure no one is leeching from you:

1) Switch off everything and see if your meter is still moving

2) Switch off the mains breaker and see who comes complaining / what other places surrounding you suddenly get dark...

I didn't even think of that, thank you so much!

You know... the last time I switched my wireless modem password, my landlady called me and said I needed to let her computer tech in b/c my modem had messed up her modem. I really hope it's nothing on her end. She and I are pretty chummy.

Without a doubt you are being ripped off by your CHUMMY landlady. She has everything running through yor power source and has fraudulently connected her TV to your account. Ask an independant electrician.

I have a shop with big fridges electric oven, aircon upstairs that is on 12 hrs a night and I'm upset if the bill is near 5000 baht a month. TIT

[rgs2001uk]

You are being scammed.

A couple of points stick out like a sore thumb, "I rent part of a building". Who uses or rents the other part of the building, or is it empty?

"a landlady who basically has me handling my 'own' bills" Where do your bills come from?

Are they proper authentic bills from the electricity company?

"They've got what is my 'unit number' on them.". Are you talking about units used, what was the numer of units used for last month and the month before that, in fact in you are in Bkk with a proper elect bill the readings for the last 6 months are on the bill. Or are you talking about the building number of your unit/flat?

"I went to the landlady who simply replied ' I don't believe you', I showed her the bill and she kind of brushed it off". You are bloody right she brushed it off, she knows you have rumbled her.

3000 baht a month sounds about right.

I see you have also added this in a reply,

"You know... the last time I switched my wireless modem password, my landlady called me and said I needed to let her computer tech in b/c my modem had messed up her modem."

How can your password mess up her modem, and where did this " computer tech" appear from?

This subject rears its head every so often, and it usually someone pulling a fast one on the tenant.

By the way, what are you being charged per unit of electricity?

If you have a direct bill from the elect company, it starts at about 3 baht for the first 150 units, then rises to about 4 baht for the next 150 units, then after the first 400 units it rises again.

Sounds to me as if you are being charged a flat out rate by the landlord.

What about your water bill, you havent mentioned that.

[VTR1000]

If you are living in a 'private' apartment block, the charges can start hitting the roof - depending on how you get on with the owner/landlord. There are literally thousands of private rentals around that will only charge government rates.

For example, a 3 bedroomed house in Bangkok will/can work out way cheaper than an apartment!

I live out in the sticks ..... have a 3 bedroomed house, 3 bathrooms, living room, kitchen, huge garden etc and I pay B7,000 a month. Utilities come to less than 3k ..... normal rates.

BKK apartments are a total rip off .....electric/water/UBC etc per unit are silly prices!

If you are addicted to the BKK nightlife, you have to pay for it. Once you get over that barrier, your costs will come way down!

[JohanV]

I live in a big seven-room / two floor house in Nong Khai.

I have one A/C in the bedroom and it's on from 8:00 PM to 1:00 PM every day - as i work in the night I sleep in the daytime.

I have another A/C in my workroom - it's on from about 4:PM to 6:00 Am every day.

Apart from that I have a washing machine that uses warm water (!), a fridge and loads more.

My record power bill came this month as it's been so warm - it was 5300 thb. And that's a lot !

So, it sounds ridicolously high with an 8000 thb power bill, indeed.

When I lived in Nonthaburi some years ago, my wife lifted the phone one day and she heard someone talking on the line..

We found out that our neighbours had connected a cable to our phone cable and were leeching on our phone bill.

We brought the police there, took some pictures and filed a report. Neighbours disappeared, problem solved.

So, these things happen. I would say you are being used.

That modem thing with your landlady kinda says it all, doesn't it ?

Good luck and I hope you can sort it out.

[getgoin]

Check the wires coming from the meter and make sure they go directly to your box. Sometimes they will splice into a main. Check that there is only one wire connected to the meter.

Then you can turn off the power at your box and see if it affects those that surround you.

[bud7]

Are you cleaning the A/C filters? Cut my electric bill 30%.

I'm also in a shophouse and use two air-con units. My bill

is bout 5000-6000/month during the hot season.

[maabaa]

I suggest you buy a megger (AC version of a multimeter).

Disconnect all your appliances from the mains plugs including hardwired devices.

Disconnect the mains by throwing the main-switch.

Check the circuits with the megger.

Remove the megger and throw the mains switch on again.

If anyone is scamming your electricity you have just fried their electronics.

If anyone suggests you have caused it, just deny it.

Yes, you are being scammed.

Good luck.

[PoorSucker]

Shop house, 1 bedroom with 1 air con.

1400 baht/month.

[thrilled]

somethings wrong

[FarmerJoe]

Yep, you are being taken. I have a small 6 room guesthouse and the tenants keep the aircon on most of the time even when I tell them not too. Still with that and running the guesthouse, my bill is around 6,000 a month.

[Fore Man]

We own a huge, 800-sq. meter sprawling home in a district of CM. Our electric bill averages THB 7,000 monthly over the course of a year. We just received our highest bill ever for the past month--THB 11,348. We operate a pool pump 6 hours a day, normally have one of three hybrid, large capacity A/C on all day and night year-round and make occasional use of room-size units for smaller areas. All cooking is done via gas appliances except for a microwave, but we do have no fewer than 5 referigerators running continuously, although one of them is a small bar unit. The home has two 300-liter hot water heaters, one of which is switched off unless guests come. Our maid does a lot of ironing and running the washer & dryer (both electric). Our bill peaked this month because we had family guests for 6 weeks that used a room A/C and spent more time using the TV than normal. The pool's chlorination system and cleaning pump was run extra hours because we needed to overcome an algae bloom. In sum, we are big electricity consumers. I have neighbors with similarly-sized homes who have similarly-sized bills. I say all this because I consider that our THB 11,348 electric bill was reasonable considering the huge physical plant we operate; the OP's bill of THB 8,000 absolutely suggests that he is being scammed...hugely scammed. The suggestions by other posters to isolate his own electrical use and then check the circuits make perfect sense. Hire an electrician and have him thoroughly document his findings. Have him attempt to gather information on electrical usage for the entire building. If there is an irregularity found, use his report to register your complaint to the electrical company and to the police. In the end, without adequate renter protection statutes and government ombudsmen, you are on your own with the landlord. If she still refuses to accept the facts, vote with your feet. This is pure BS and unchecked greed in my opinion.

[onlycw]

Have someone who reads Thai and speaks English look at the name on the bill. IMHO, something is very wrong. A normal aircon uses less than 1 kw/h per hour. Multiply that by say 20 x 30 days x 5 Baht you get 3,000 Baht. The real kw/h cost is lower than 5 Baht and your real usage should be less than 20 kw/h per day.

Is the landlady involved somehow? I found Thai landlords to be shameless and rip off artists. A previous LL wanted 10 Baht per kw/h and it took me 30 minutes to get her down to 8.

Maybe someone is having his bill sent to you? You can also buy devices showing the watts something uses.

Standby is often terrible - switch off the tV when you are done.

Good luck!

Chris

[Aurelia]

Thank you all for your input, it's been really helpful. I did turn the main off the power and then was left without internet connection till this morning (eventhough I have a modem- so I don't get that, I actually had to call true and reset my password???) so I'm guessing my 'main' fully priced internet plan isn't really the 'main' one. My landlady basically owns an entire building. It used to be a very large guesthouse, but she closed it a couple of months ago and now rents the rooms out long term to locals.

The unit numbers for the property are 4,6,7,8. The guesthouse is 4, and mine is 8. I've seen mail for no. 7, and the bills I get are legitimate as in they're dropped in my box and they're from the government offices. My phone bill has been a little high but I usually get two bills if I ever use the line to call overseas. I get one standard and one detailing my phone calls. My water bill is about 258 baht? So I get the bills myself, I just can't understand them.

What I do understand of the electricity bill is the unit usage which by month went from 964 units, 1080 units, 1548 units, 1488 units, 1624 units, 1876 units and finally 2020 units so I guess the rate is about 4 baht per unit?

So i think I'll be moving. I already knew i was paying more than local rental but hey at least that's because I knew lots of times pricing here is based on passports not just skintone - I'm an olive skinned American. Things were cheaper before she found out my father is a white farang from Missouri ). Sad thing is the only reason I opted for the space in a very local neighborhood is because I give free English classes to some of the local kids and small business owners and employees- including her staff. Champion muppet, i know. Her loss I guess. Okay so next thread will be on where to move to. I'm out near Jatujak. Ari looks nice.

Really, thanks everybody. At least now I know I have good reason to take it up with her. I still don't understand how my electricity effects my internet connection, even if the main connection is next door. Ah, I'm in Fashion not IT, I accept being techie stupid.

[Aurelia]

Thank you all for your input, it's been really helpful. I did turn the main off the power and then was left without internet connection till this morning (eventhough I have a modem- so I don't get that, I actually had to call true and reset my password???) so I'm guessing my 'main' fully priced internet plan isn't really the 'main' one. My landlady basically owns an entire building. It used to be a very large guesthouse, but she closed it a couple of months ago and now rents the rooms out long term to locals.

The unit numbers for the property are 4,6,7,8. The guesthouse is 4, and mine is 8. I've seen mail for no. 7, and the bills I get are legitimate as in they're dropped in my box and they're from the government offices. My phone bill has been a little high but I usually get two bills if I ever use the line to call overseas. I get one standard and one detailing my phone calls. My water bill is about 258 baht? So I get the bills myself, I just can't understand them.

What I do understand of the electricity bill is the unit usage which by month went from 964 units, 1080 units, 1548 units, 1488 units, 1624 units, 1876 units and finally 2020 units so I guess the rate is about 4 baht per unit?

So i think I'll be moving. I already knew i was paying more than local rental but hey at least that's because I knew lots of times pricing here is based on passports not just skintone - I'm an olive skinned American. Things were cheaper before she found out my father is a white farang from Missouri ). Sad thing is the only reason I opted for the space in a very local neighborhood is because I give free English classes to some of the local kids and small business owners and employees- including her staff. Champion muppet, i know. Her loss I guess. Okay so next thread will be on where to move to. I'm out near Jatujak. Ari looks nice.

Really, thanks everybody. At least now I know I have good reason to take it up with her. I still don't understand how my electricity effects my internet connection, even if the main connection is next door. Ah, I'm in Fashion not IT, I accept being techie stupid.

Oh, and I do service the A/C's - but thanks for pointing out.

[Lumumba]

A faulty A/C once had me thinking the building elevators are powered from my mains.

Had the company place another meter side by side with mine, they both read the same.I started switching the power off when I am out, still same.

Till I changed a faulty AC parts that wont let the heat escape the outside unit. It came back normal.All took me 6 months, but I never gave up.

[Aurelia]

A faulty A/C once had me thinking the building elevators are powered from my mains.

Had the company place another meter side by side with mine, they both read the same.I started switching the power off when I am out, still same.

Till I changed a faulty AC parts that wont let the heat escape the outside unit. It came back normal.All took me 6 months, but I never gave up.

It might be something less obvious than the filters but I just saw where a friend of mine is living for ALOT less. ( And she has a real kitchen. I have a Fridge, a hotplate I don't use and a kettle. ) Moving is probably best. I've lowered the AC usage over the past two months though, that's where I don't get the huge increase.

[Snig27]

A faulty A/C once had me thinking the building elevators are powered from my mains.

Had the company place another meter side by side with mine, they both read the same.I started switching the power off when I am out, still same.

Till I changed a faulty AC parts that wont let the heat escape the outside unit. It came back normal.All took me 6 months, but I never gave up.

It might be something less obvious than the filters but I just saw where a friend of mine is living for ALOT less. ( And she has a real kitchen. I have a Fridge, a hotplate I don't use and a kettle. ) Moving is probably best. I've lowered the AC usage over the past two months though, that's where I don't get the huge increase.

We live in a new town house, so the appliances / AC are pretty efficient, we have a large A/C on most of the day and a smaller one on at night. not to mention fans etc. and a full size fridge and a small electric oven. Our bill is usually between 1500 - 2000 max.

[Pib]

The OP could have one or both of the A/C's eating most of that much electricity cost depending on their size, condition, and usage. He could check his KWH usage per day by reading the electric meter and doing some comparisions with the A/C's turned off and on over a 8 to 24 hour period.

[rhino533]

Your getting ripped off. There is no way you should be paying that much. I have a fair sized house with 3 aircons (one used 8-9hrs/day), big fridge, big fan that's on 12hrs + a day for the dogs, 3 big water pumps used a lot, 3 computers that are on a lot and I pay 2300 baht this month, the last 6 months its ranged between 1900-2300B/month due to the heat.

I also have an internet cafe with 2 aircons that are on 12+hrs/day, 44 computers (cafe always is 60%+ full and weekends mostly full) and I pay around 12000-15000B/month. So 1 person paying 8000B+/month is crazy if you ask me. Someone is getting a free ride that's for sure. You need to hire an electrician to do some investigating!!!!!

[Pib]

Your getting ripped off. There is no way you should be paying that much. I have a fair sized house with 3 aircons (one used 8-9hrs/day), big fridge, big fan that's on 12hrs + a day for the dogs, 3 big water pumps used a lot, 3 computers that are on a lot and I pay 2300 baht this month, the last 6 months its ranged between 1900-2300B/month due to the heat.

I also have an internet café with 2 aircons that are on 12+hrs/day, 44 computers (café always is 60%+ full and weekends mostly full) and I pay around 12000-15000B/month. So 1 person paying 8000B+/month is crazy if you ask me. Someone is getting a free ride that's for sure. You need to hire an electrician to do some investigating!!!!!

Sound like you are only really using one A/C part of the day...big or small A/C? Fridge's don't use that much after getting cooled down. Fans don't use that much. Water pumps only use electricity when someone turns the tap/water hose on, flushes the commode, etc. And computer's don't really use a lot either and I expect you don't have all three home computer's on at the same time and throughout the day. Your 1900-2300B/mo bill sounds right.

For your internet café, I expect those two A/C's which are probably generating about half of your electricity cost and 44 computer's running/in standby for most of the day is going to use a lot also. The 12-15K baht/mo also sounds solid.

I'm not disputing your electric bills as they sound on-target; I'm just trying to point out that the A/C size (5K BTU or 20KBTU), A/C usage (night or day use, A/C cooling a large area or small room, etc), and condition of A/C (dirty filters, undersized, etc) can make a BIG difference in your electric bill along with other factors like insulation, your building/room getting a lot of south-side/direct sun, etc.

[t.s]

If you are living in a 'private' apartment block, the charges can start hitting the roof - depending on how you get on with the owner/landlord. There are literally thousands of private rentals around that will only charge government rates.

For example, a 3 bedroomed house in Bangkok will/can work out way cheaper than an apartment!

I live out in the sticks ..... have a 3 bedroomed house, 3 bathrooms, living room, kitchen, huge garden etc and I pay B7,000 a month. Utilities come to less than 3k ..... normal rates.

BKK apartments are a total rip off .....electric/water/UBC etc per unit are silly prices!

If you are addicted to the BKK nightlife, you have to pay for it. Once you get over that barrier, your costs will come way down!

i find this remark ludicrous.

what on earth does choosing to live in the city have to do with being "addicted" to nightlife. dont project your own issues onto others. there are myriad valid reason to choose to live in the city.

[Pib]

Your getting ripped off. There is no way you should be paying that much. I have a fair sized house with 3 aircons (one used 8-9hrs/day), big fridge, big fan that's on 12hrs + a day for the dogs, 3 big water pumps used a lot, 3 computers that are on a lot and I pay 2300 baht this month, the last 6 months its ranged between 1900-2300B/month due to the heat.

I also have an internet café with 2 aircons that are on 12+hrs/day, 44 computers (café always is 60%+ full and weekends mostly full) and I pay around 12000-15000B/month. So 1 person paying 8000B+/month is crazy if you ask me. Someone is getting a free ride that's for sure. You need to hire an electrician to do some investigating!!!!!

Sound like you are only really using one A/C part of the day...big or small A/C? Fridge's don't use that much after getting cooled down. Fans don't use that much. Water pumps only use electricity when someone turns the tap/water hose on, flushes the commode, etc. And computer's don't really use a lot either and I expect you don't have all three home computer's on at the same time and throughout the day. Your 1900-2300B/mo bill sounds right.

For your internet café, I expect those two A/C's which are probably generating about half of your electricity cost and 44 computer's running/in standby for most of the day is going to use a lot also. The 12-15K baht/mo also sounds solid.

I'm not disputing your electric bills as they sound on-target; I'm just trying to point out that the A/C size (5K BTU or 20KBTU), A/C usage (night or day use, A/C cooling a large area or small room, etc), and condition of A/C (dirty filters, undersized, etc) can make a BIG difference in your electric bill along with other factors like insulation, your building/room getting a lot of south-side/direct sun, etc.

Just to add a little more info to my response above, this morning I used my clamp-on amp meter to measure the current flow into my house/directly out of the electric meter with one 18,000 BTU A/C turned on or turned off. With the A/C turned off and only two full size frigs and one mini frig plugged in, several TVs in standby mode, several satellite TV settop box in standby mode, the microwave in standby, and maybe one light on, I was pulling only 1.3 amps. Now when I turned the A/C on (a York split air two years old/works fine) with its compressor running I was pulling 9.3 amps. Or, said another way, my electricity usage increased by approx 7 fold when using the A/C. Yes sir, your A/C usage makes a BIG difference in your electric bill, especially if you have a medium to large size A/C(s) and run them a lot. A/C's are real energy hogs!

[t.s]

this isn't exactly rocket science.

oddly enough, when i lived in canada heat cost money as well.

[Pib]

this isn't exactly rocket science.

oddly enough, when i lived in canada heat cost money as well.

Heat is free and plentiful year round in Thailand. Maybe Thailand should bottle it and export it to Canada. The Finance Ministry could then put out another press release about Thailand's ever expanding GDP (or would that just be more hot air).

[Randee]

I suggest you buy a megger (AC version of a multimeter).

Disconnect all your appliances from the mains plugs including hardwired devices.

Disconnect the mains by throwing the main-switch.

Check the circuits with the megger.

Remove the megger and throw the mains switch on again.

If anyone is scamming your electricity you have just fried their electronics.

If anyone suggests you have caused it, just deny it.

Yes, you are being scammed.

Good luck.

haha i love this suggestion

[Randee]

Just to give some input from another scenario....

I'm in a small studio apartment/room/bedsit.

A/C on 24 hours a day for a month continually, very rarely switched off. Often running with the patio door wide open too.

All cooking done in a microwave including heating up water for drinks etc.

17" Computer on 15-24 hours a day.

Big emptyish fridge on number 2 constantly.

Laundry done by hand using hot shower water.

T.V. on 3-4 hours a day.

Fan often running.

Just had my biggest monthly bill so far and this month it's 2200 baht.

I'm thinking thats not bad at all.

And as for her being chummy with ... I bet she is!!!