No More Free Electricity

[Briggsy]

I have enjoyed free electricity for quite some time. This is because I am a low user and live in a condo with it's own meter and house number.

I have been told that due to a change in government policy this scheme, "Ratthaban rap phara" or "The government bears the burden" or whatever it was called, no longer applies to condos. So that's that.

Any info anyone?

[Semper]

You have my deepest sympathies.

[beano2274]

I noticed on my last bill that I had to pay, so it has definitely finished, as I had only used 60 units.

[samran]

well, new posse is in town.

Government by the people, screwing the people.

[Jingthing]

The new government hasn't formed yet. It was likely a populist thing by the democrats, but they lost, so why bother with it anymore? Yes, I have found it odd to get free juice from the Thai government, something my government never gave me. (But I do remember free US government cheese, not bad for mac and cheese.)

Edited July 29, 2011 by Jingthing

[jamescollister]

Strange, got our electricity bill yesterday ,I live in a village in Issan and only a few homes [ huts ] get bills. Yesterday the guy had a bag full of bills. Going to be some unhappy campers if they have to pay. Jim

[Richard4849]

So what was the policy before? If you used under a certain amount it was free?

I'd be happy to have a bill below 10,000 baht a month...

[Jingthing]

So what was the policy before? If you used under a certain amount it was free?

I'd be happy to have a bill below 10,000 baht a month...

Yeah, something like that. On one of my units, I haven't paid one baht for years now. I found it very funny, not something I asked for. I would have assumed they would normally exclude foreigners from programs like that as we don't vote, but I reckon it would have cost more to enforce that weeding out than to just include everyone.

Edited July 29, 2011 by Jingthing

[thunder30101]

Under 300 baht and you werent charged for your electric use from where i used to live. I guess as long as energy costs keep rising they have to do something, I just hope they use the money to upgrade the system as these constant brownouts are hard on the electronics. And its not the new goverment pinhead find another conspiracy theory please.

[bobbin]

Thank God!

Now I can use the practically brand-new air-con unit in my living room........

[Chivas]

Clearly outrageous that its been free in the first place....

What country in the world doesn't charge users !!

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Under 300 baht and you werent charged for your electric use from where i used to live. I guess as long as energy costs keep rising they have to do something, I just hope they use the money to upgrade the system as these constant brownouts are hard on the electronics. And its not the new goverment pinhead find another conspiracy theory please.

Ah, wondered why I just got a bill for baht 282 for last month's juice up at our bungalow in A. Wang Muang, Saraburi. Booo, been free for some time now. Oh, well, just add that the monthly bill here at home of about baht 2,300+.

Mac

[sotsira]

Is it nationwide for all or just condo owners?

[Richard4849]

Sending bills and collecting money has a cost...perhaps they previously thought that doing so for amounts less than 300 baht was a losing proposition. I doubt the policy was based on magnanimity.

[thunder30101]

Many countries subsidize energy not just thailand but again energy costs have skyrocketed in the last 15 years its kinda like the diesel fuel and lpg\cng subsidies they cant keep doing it forever no matter who is in control of the government.

[DP25]

Clearly outrageous that its been free in the first place....

What country in the world doesn't charge users !!

It encourages energy conservation. People want to get free electricity so they try to stay under the limit.

[Briggsy]

I believe, under the scheme, electricity was free if you used less than 90 units per month. The actual monetary amount would fluctuate with the FT charge but tended to be around 300 B.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

So what was the policy before? If you used under a certain amount it was free?

I'd be happy to have a bill below 10,000 baht a month...

10,000 Bt ??? Holly Crap ! What are you doing ? Even with air on 24/7 and cooking and showers, my fammily never does over 1000 Bt in 10 years !

[robblok]

So what was the policy before? If you used under a certain amount it was free?

I'd be happy to have a bill below 10,000 baht a month...

10,000 Bt ??? Holly Crap ! What are you doing ? Even with air on 24/7 and cooking and showers, my fammily never does over 1000 Bt in 10 years !

I get regular bills of around 2000-2500 and i don't open my aircon 24/7. So if he is in a big house turning on his aircons 24/7 its quite easy.

[h90]

The new government hasn't formed yet. It was likely a populist thing by the democrats, but they lost, so why bother with it anymore? Yes, I have found it odd to get free juice from the Thai government, something my government never gave me. (But I do remember free US government cheese, not bad for mac and cheese.)

Wasn't it from Samak and just extended by the democrats?

[Jingthing]

The new government hasn't formed yet. It was likely a populist thing by the democrats, but they lost, so why bother with it anymore? Yes, I have found it odd to get free juice from the Thai government, something my government never gave me. (But I do remember free US government cheese, not bad for mac and cheese.)

Wasn't it from Samak and just extended by the democrats?

That might be correct, but if so, the democrats could have nixed it, so for most of the time it was a political gift from the democrats. As you recall the democrats tried to do a number of populist things to out-Thaksin Thaksin in that regard.

[thunder30101]

Doesnt matter what gov. it was from it was a good thing for the thai people most of who live on a subsistence wage or under a sufficiency economy plan.

[jimbeam1]

So what was the policy before? If you used under a certain amount it was free?

I'd be happy to have a bill below 10,000 baht a month...

10,000 Bt ??? Holly Crap ! What are you doing ? Even with air on 24/7 and cooking and showers, my fammily never does over 1000 Bt in 10 years !

A 1000bt in 10 years? That's conservation.

jb1