Electric bill

[farang1979]

Just received my first electric bill in my new condo. I moved in on the 1st February and the bill is dated the 4th March. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the bill was only 570฿. In my previous two condos it was never any cheaper than around 2000฿. I have a fridge, two TVs (which with Thai TV aren't watched very often) and I have the air con on pretty much all the time when I'm in, occasionally leaving it on through the night. The bill came from the Metropolitan Electrical Authority. While I'm not complaining at all about the bill I'm just wondering if I've been paying about 400% more at the other places I've stayed? At the other condos I paid directly to the condo.

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[biker Bob]

I'm just wondering if I've been paying about 400% more at the other places I've stayed? At the other condos I paid directly to the condo.

 

Most likely

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[blackcab]

Your MEA rate is 4 and a bit baht per unit. At condos the average rate is 8 baht per unit.

 

In a condo with 8 baht electricity it wouldn't surprise me if you had a 2,000 baht electricity bill.

 

[farang1979]

8 minutes ago, blackcab said:

Your MEA rate is 4 and a bit baht per unit. At condos the average rate is 8 baht per unit.

 

In a condo with 8 baht electricity it wouldn't surprise me if you had a 2,000 baht electricity bill.

 

That makes sense. This condo is actually alot nicer than the previous ones too. Seems like they've been raking it in from an unsuspecting farang!  

[KhonKaenKowboy]

The biggest thing is the rate, but also the age of the zircon.  An old air con uses twice as much electric....and if you are paying double..that means you are paying four times more or 300% more for the a/c portion.   About the same for refrigerators.  Always ask the rate, unless you are with MEA/PEA.  Nicer condo owners will let you simply pay the bill when it comes.  The big apartment buildings frequently go for lower rent and jacked up electric and a separate rent for furniture.  I think it is tax loopholes..but as a result you get people sitting in dark, stifling hot condos.

[blackcab]

4 minutes ago, farang1979 said:

That makes sense. This condo is actually alot nicer than the previous ones too. Seems like they've been raking it in from an unsuspecting farang!  

 

8 baht per unit is routinely charged to Thai people too. Of course we don't know what rate you were charged. It may have been more.

 

Some places will charge 8 baht if you ask, but much more if you don't. Water and Electricity costs should be part of the opening discussion about price.

[farang1979]

1 minute ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

The biggest thing is the rate, but also the age of the zircon.  An old air con uses twice as much electric....and if you are paying double..that means you are paying four times more or 300% more for the a/c portion.   About the same for refrigerators.  Always ask the rate, unless you are with MEA/PEA.  Nicer condo owners will let you simply pay the bill when it comes.  The big apartment buildings frequently go for lower rent and jacked up electric and a separate rent for furniture.  I think it is tax loopholes..but as a result you get people sitting in dark, stifling hot condos.

Yeah the last place I stayed at was an old appartment building and the equipment there was pretty archaic. My intention ultimately is to buy a property, however I think this is definitely something I will bear in mind when renting in the future.  This appartment came fully furnished where as the previous older one charged for a non-existent internet 300B, old style TV 500B, fridge 500B and 300B for hot water.  I switched a fan on at night instead of the air con to keep me cool. The rent was only 4000B so I think they were making it up with extras.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

I agree...top complaints about apartments are bad WiFi and jacked up electric.  13 is the highest I have seen.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Correct t, it is not a dual pricing type ripoff, but the Thais will do without a/c...nationally about a third have it....people always talk about the empty buildings, but a lot of it is that the locals almost never use balcony lights or bright lights.

[farang1979]

Just now, KhonKaenKowboy said:

Correct t, it is not a dual pricing type ripoff, but the Thais will do without a/c...nationally about a third have it....people always talk about the empty buildings, but a lot of it is that the locals almost never use balcony lights or bright lights.

Yes, I tend to find that Thai people seem to have evolved to live with heat better than Westerners. I know I can be sweating in a place and look around and see Thai people without a bead of sweat on them and actually looking comfortable with the heat.Valuable lesson learnt today.

[blackcab]

16 minutes ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

The big apartment buildings frequently go for lower rent and jacked up electric and a separate rent for furniture.  I think it is tax loopholes.

 

There are a few reasons why this happens. The first is that lower end condos have a lot of tenants that don't use much electric and water. The low rental price is to ensure occupancy in the face of competition. There are a lot if competitors in that price segment.

 

If a tenant uses the aircon a lot, they tend to have the money to pay for it. It doesn't make good business sense to raise rents, have a lower occupancy rate and have the same people using the aircon and paying a lower rate for it.

 

The higher end the condo is, the more likely that the rental payment is split into rent, furniture and service charges. This is for tax reasons.

Edited March 9, 2017 by blackcab

[KhonKaenKowboy]

It is kind of a de facto dual pricing because it is mostly the farang that get screwed by it.....Thais don't get screwed by outrageous prices on running shoes, cheese, shaving foam....simply not stuff they buy.

[daveAustin]

(Old, large) aircons and big showers use most juice.

[darksidedog]

If you aren't getting a Government electric bill, you are almost certainly paying way too much.

My friend has a two bedroom place with no A/C and one bathroom, while I have a 3 bedroom with 3 A/Cs and 3 bathrooms. Plus 2 fridges, a freezer and lots of other electric stuff.

His electric bill is higher than mine. His water bill is higher than mine too.

Lots of places charge cheap rent and then nail you on the utility bill.

Unfortunately people who can't afford a house are getting cheated every month, and there is no way out, as every where else they can rent does exactly the same.

[55Jay]

Not a condo but in the big countryside house we lived in first 4 years, a/c only at night in the bedroom, open air/fans during the day, couple fridges, computers, typical infrastructure.  We ranged between 1,900 in the short cool season with no a/c at night/window open, fan on, to between high 4k to 5,000/mo the rest of the year.

 

We just moved into a 3 bed/2 bath rental house in a moo ban closer to the city infrastructure.  We keep it closed up, use a/c all day and night.  First bill covered 2 full weeks of residency, 1,500... so I expect a full month will be around 3k or so.  And I'm chillin' in a/c all day now instead of in front of a fan blowing hot air at 30mph.  I feel like I'm cheating but I'll muddle through somehow.  

[Katipo]

Could it also be a dodgy meter? I pay 7 baht per unit. I have hot water, fridge, fans, and aircon. I do travel quite frequently for work and pleasure, but am at home about 20 nights a month, with the aircon on from about 11pm until 7am (8 hours) each night. My electricity bill has been in the range of 400 baht for each of the lat 3 months I have been there. Never, in all my years in Thailand, has it been this low.

[dotpoom]

4 hours ago, farang1979 said:

That makes sense. This condo is actually alot nicer than the previous ones too. Seems like they've been raking it in from an unsuspecting farang!  

Why does it make sense? ...maybe I'm missing something. If your rate now is about half of what you were paying before and your bill is 570 Bt...then at your old rate (which was double) then you would be paying 1,140Bt.....not 2000.

Edited March 9, 2017 by dotpoom

[dotpoom]

4 hours ago, farang1979 said:

 

Edited March 9, 2017 by dotpoom

[twizzian]

The meter's been wired.

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, farang1979 said:

Yeah the last place I stayed at was an old appartment building and the equipment there was pretty archaic. My intention ultimately is to buy a property, however I think this is definitely something I will bear in mind when renting in the future.  This appartment came fully furnished where as the previous older one charged for a non-existent internet 300B, old style TV 500B, fridge 500B and 300B for hot water.  I switched a fan on at night instead of the air con to keep me cool. The rent was only 4000B so I think they were making it up with extras.

Mine in a condo runs between 600 and 750

[Laza 45]

5 hours ago, farang1979 said:

That makes sense. This condo is actually alot nicer than the previous ones too. Seems like they've been raking it in from an unsuspecting farang!  

....a common practice here to pad the electricity bill in rentals.. my bill got cut in half too when I got my own home..  they do it with water too.. 

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Katipo said:

Could it also be a dodgy meter? I pay 7 baht per unit. I have hot water, fridge, fans, and aircon. I do travel quite frequently for work and pleasure, but am at home about 20 nights a month, with the aircon on from about 11pm until 7am (8 hours) each night. My electricity bill has been in the range of 400 baht for each of the lat 3 months I have been there. Never, in all my years in Thailand, has it been this low.

The answer is simple, when renting, the first thing you ask is how much per unit for electricity, it should be around 4 Bt, if you get hit with 7 or 8 Bt, use your middle finger then go elsewhere, as you will be getting cheated.

[lungnorm]

You have been Conn doe'd

[Jorgendk]

I do not know how much the official electricity bill price wearies, but we pay 3.6 pr. unit inc. Vat. ( Government electric bill )

[Kabula]

It will be hot as hell soon so it may very well triple soon.

 

Perhaps an error in reading the meter.

 

Or the prior tenant salted the meter to slow it down.

 

 With the money saved....

[Cinderella Man]

We pay directly to the electricity company ~ 4 p unit or so. The weird thing is - previous condo we always used to pay about 1100 and we used ac during the day little bit and then night.

 

The new condo first two bills around 1800 with even lower usage - as it was high floor with natural wind so we only used ac at night. After few months it settled down to 900-1100 - was someone screwing us?

 

Water bill we always paid 60-100 thb a month. The new condo? 200-300thb... same rate per unit, but somehow we "used" 2 or 3x of what before

Edited March 9, 2017 by Cinderella Man

[Destiny1990]

If u like high electricity bills may i advise u  move in that case to Manila Makati any condo will suit.

[balo]

If you pay more than 4.50 baht per/unit its not government rates . I have rented all over Thailand and always make sure to find a building that does not charge extra for electricity . 

 

In Chiang Mai I only pay 600-700 baht per month with air-con on , I think that's the cheapest I've paid , the government rates are lower here than in Bangkok. 

 

 

 

[juice777]

My bill is about 1500THB a month I hardly never turn on the Air con. I have a fridge, big TV , ceiling fan and a normal fan hot shower. I thimk it's about 3.7 a unit. Do you think I am paying to much? reading some of the post here I think I could be

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[themerg]

Wait for the next bill. It is summer in Thailand.