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Change in CFE billing?


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If this has been posted and discussed already, I apologize. I haven't seen it. A CFE rep came by the house in the last week and talked to my husband (I wasn't here). They guy said they are no longer going to mail/deliver bills. He gave us an electronic card we're to lay on top of our meter once a month on the 25th. Supposedly the reading will be uploaded onto the card. You then go to CFE in Chapala to pay the bill. I don't like the idea for a variety of reasons. Has anyone else gotten a visit from these guys? Is anyone already doing this? The card and brochure they left certainly looks legit, but who knows.

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This is a scam, it is a voluntary program and is bad for you although they make it look mandatory. You will have to put the card over your meter and then find out the amount and go to CFE after and then return or else your power is cut.

Call to cancel right away.

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Also, don't you need a different type of digital meter for this card to be able to read what is owed? I had heard that this was going to happen sometime in the future from CFE. I am sure glad, that it's voluntary. Thanks for the info Spencer.

Because I have solar panels and a digital meter, I already have to pay monthly, rather than every other month. At least with my photovoltaic panels the bills are very small, often less than $150 pesos per month.

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Someone had to sign for it, everybody should tell guards NOT to sign for the cards or else you will have your power cut if you dont follow the new system which is voluntary. Call CFE and cancel telling them you never wanted it and the person who has the service never authorized it

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There are two types of digital meters in use in the US. One way meter allows a car to drive down the street and downloads the data. The next level up from that is a 2-way meter that can be read remotely at the home office. These types are used in areas that have different rates for time of day electricity use. Look at Itron's website.

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Once you have signed "the contract" or document that the person from CFE brought to your home how easy is it going to be to cancel the new electronic card reading procedure? Can you just ignore the situation and continue on as in the past? In this thred the word "Scam" has been used and that's unsettling!

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I don't guess I understand the problem. What would be so bad about placing a card on the digital meter and having the card read the meter and then going to pay the bill? We have to go pay the bill anyway. I suppose it would be a problem for those who don't live here full time ... or when you are on vacation if you don't have someone you can rely on ... other than that I don't see the problem.

I always thought a "scam" was something where someone was trying to defraud you in some way. Spencer, are you saying that CFE is doing something illegal here? as I do believe scams are some sort of illegal activity are they not?

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I don't guess I understand the problem. What would be so bad about placing a card on the digital meter and having the card read the meter and then going to pay the bill? We have to go pay the bill anyway. I suppose it would be a problem for those who don't live here full time ... or when you are on vacation if you don't have someone you can rely on ... other than that I don't see the problem.

I always thought a "scam" was something where someone was trying to defraud you in some way. Spencer, are you saying that CFE is doing something illegal here? as I do believe scams are some sort of illegal activity are they not?

I agree providing you don't have to haul yourself down to Chapala to pay the bill. Right now I just take the bill up to my bank and pay for it at the same time I'm doing other errands.

Otherwise, forget it. Dealing with CFE is annoying enough without having to go there every month.

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You will not receive paper bills, nor will you know what your bill is until you bring the card to the payment center, no more auto pay and if you forget your service is cutoff and you must go every month.

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Right, and now the onus is on you to remember, when we already pay the CFE lots of money to provide this service themselves. And if you forget, bye-bye power. Bad enough they are allowed to cut down offending branches from power lines and leave them lying on the road where they drop.

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Our guard gave everyone in our complex the card with the brochure. It had our casa # written on it. We did not sign anything. Do I still have to go down to CFE to opt out! One guy in my community said if we scan it ourselves the bill could be 3 times more (don't know if I believe that one). And my hairdresser said that her elec. bill went down this month (she gets a bill), she said something about the government reducing the rate. Anyone know anything about it?

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You need to instruct the guard to NEVER accept anything on your behalf as he could be waiving your legal rights by signing or accepting things.

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Let me get this straight: Right now, we're paying our CFE bill online with credit card. Is this no longer possible, or does this only apply to people who signed up for the 'card' system?

Yes (and no). If your intent was to not have to go to the CFE office every month or 2 months, then the card system is not for you.

Yes, you can pay by credit card online, but since the card must be on top of the meter to register your electricity usage, you must set the card on the meter (on the 25'th?) every month, and then make a trip to a CFE office or CFE automatic teller to upload your electricity usage data from the card into CFE's billing system.

If you do not put the card on the meter, and if you do not also take the card to CFE to be read, then CFE does not know what to charge - meaning the CFE online credit card payment system becomes sort-of meaningless, because you won't know your balance of what is owed (saldo) or what power you used, unless you take the card in to be read.

My apologies for answering more than what you asked.

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