Electricity Scam?

[Brightly]

I ask senior members to help me unravel this thorny question.

 

When I initially moved here, I took a serviced apt for a few months.  The electricity rate was 7 baht/unit.

 

When I was at the serviced apartment, my highest rate was 3200 baht for usage.

 

When I moved into a twice-sized townhouse with same usage (A/C running in bedroom most times) my bill was reduced: no more than 2500 baht a month for a property twice the size.  (Granted, this was on "government "rates--4.85/unit, I believe).

 

I have recently moved into a pleasant, lovely apartment complex that charges 7 baht for unit--just like the first apartment I lived in. I am using electricity at a similar rate: I run the A/C most times in the bedroom.

 

The first month's electricity bill was 5400 baht.  I spoke with the owners, and they suggested that I monitor my daily/ weekly usage.  And this came with the admonishment (and I've heard this in Thailand and other countries, BTW), that I am using "too much electricity."

 

As an aside, I refuse to apologize for my A/C usage.  I know what it has costed me historically: at both 7 baht and "government" rates per unit, and I simply want to understand why I am paying so much more presently.

 

So,  in the next month at my new abode, I was sure to keep my A/C at "smart-saver" settings, as well as reduce hot baths.  I expected a bill lower than 5400 baht.

 

This month, my electricity bill is 7900 baht!

 

I have again been told that I use "too much" electricity, and been told to monitor my meter.

 

But why should I monitor my meter?  My usage will not decline, and what if the electricity meter is rigged?

 

Has anyone had a similar problem?

 

Is there any advantage to "monitoring my meter,"  if in fact it is set high?

 

I like my new place a lot,, but when my electricity is almost as high as my rent, I must take some kind of action.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

 

 

[saakura]

At the rates you mention, it does seem to be a scam unless you are running all the airconditioners in the apartment all the time. What is your unit size, how many AC units are running, what is the BTU capacity of the units? Are the doors and windows properly sealed? 7900 is a ransom for electric unless the unit size is 350sqm with several AC units.

[ukrules]

7 Baht per unit is a rip off, don't move into a condo unless their rate is 5 Baht per unit.

 

Last month my bill was about 9500 but I do run multiple Air Conditioners all day in two rooms set to around 25 degrees C, and at night I run one with quite a low degree C setting, I like to sleep in an 18-20 degrees C temperature.

 

They are pretty large rooms, the bill will be half this amount in the winter. Instead of paying for heating in the western winter you pay for cooling in the eastern summer. This is the cost of comfort I guess.

 

Older A/C units will use more electicity than newer properly serviced units, if the A/C unit is too small for the room it's in then you will also have to pay more.

[elektrified]

We've been running 3 A/C's 12 hours/day, 3-4 computers, fans, 2 refrigerators, etc., etc. and our last bill was 2017 Baht.

[worgeordie]

"You use too much electricity",   hot baths this weather ! Oh I forgot you place is freezing .

switch the A/c off ,then look at your meter,to see if its still going around fast,someone else

could be wid into your supply.

regards worgeordie

[sappersrest]

OK

Find something or borrow something that uses  A given amount of electricity switch i.e. 1KW OR 2 KW switch everything off at your fusebox  read meter, run for 1 hour . switch off appliance read meter in theory you should have only consumed 1kw hr or 2 depending on appliance.

Some one could be taped into your supply. It is very difficult to compare dwellings as the efficiency of appliances vary.

to check if some one is tapped into your supply switch off your main fuse board and see if meter wheel is still spinning

Or you could get an electrician to check it out and I mean a proper one who at least knows how to use a meter.

GOOD LUCK

[colinneil]

Turn off all your appliances including aircon, check your meter.

If meter is moving, someone is tapped into your electric.

[simoh1490]

26 minutes ago, elektrified said:

We've been running 3 A/C's 12 hours/day, 3-4 computers, fans, 2 refrigerators, etc., etc. and our last bill was 2017 Baht.

Ours is very similar, 2 x air con (12 hours), computers, 3x pumps, fridge, TV, extensive outside lighting, sewing machines etc etc - 1,583 baht is the highest month so far in nearly three years.

[CMKiwi]

To me it sounds like a rort of some type.  If I had the time/money etc and was due for a holiday, Id head off for a month and then see what the power bill was.  But the cheaper option has already been suggested in the last few replies.

[Brightly]

Thanks to all.  

 

This must be some sort of a ""tapping in" scheme.

 

Tomorrow I will test this thesis.

 

Today, I negotiated for another apartment in the complex that's being refurbished --at a handsome rate.

 

It will be ready in a month or less.

 

At this point, do I call out tampering (assuming it exists--and it must--presumably at the hands of the owners) , or wait and see if it happens again?

 

I know it's a tough call.  Complaining too early may result in losing a prime apartment ; on the other hand, moving to another apartment  (while paying exorbitant electricity rates at the old unit) may signal complacency.

 

What to do?

 

 

[elektrified]

2 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

Ours is very similar, 2 x air con (12 hours), computers, 3x pumps, fridge, TV, extensive outside lighting, sewing machines etc etc - 1,583 baht is the highest month so far in nearly three years.

The highest bill we've had in 10 years was 3,000 Baht. And that was one year when it was so hot that we ran 2-3 A/C's about 15-18 hours per day.

[FolkGuitar]

You might want to check with the electric company to see just what they are charging.

 

When we lived in a different building, some friends discovered that their electric bill went UP... while they were out of the country for a few months. It turned out that the manager of the building was padding the bills and didn't know that they were gone.  We were, according to our lease, supposed to pay city prices. So my wife went to the electric company and got a record of OUR bills for the previous year. Sure enough, the manager had been tagging on 1,000 baht extra each month on our bills too, but when we showed her the actual records, wasn't the least bit embarrassed... She simply asked if she could pay back the 11,000 baht in three installments. I guess she was planning to pad some other people's bills to get the money to pay us.

[KhunBENQ]

For more advise on "monitor the meter" I move this to the electrical forum leaving a link in the CM forum.

 

 

[Dellboy218]

Something like this might help  but of course it is not cheap   http://efergy.com/ca/elite-classic#.WRcSUVx8mDk  

[simoh1490]

31 minutes ago, Dellboy218 said:

Something like this might help  but of course it is not cheap   http://efergy.com/ca/elite-classic#.WRcSUVx8mDk  

There's loads of products out there to do similar, especially in the UK and they are not too expensive, here's one:

 

https://www.eco-eye.com/product-monitor-smart

 

Edited May 13, 2017 by simoh1490