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What ever happened to the CFE Smart Meter fiasco


sparks

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They are down here on the beach telling people whatever they want to hear ... but not telling them where and how to pay. My Mexican neighbors think they just moved up in the world. I'm hoping not a CFE nightmare

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They have to pay at CFE, no more paying at an OXXO, tienda, or bank. The electric cycles off in the house and back on when the card reads the meter so if people have digital clocks they all need to be reset. The bill must be paid once a month and I don't know of a way to pay ahead in case someone is out of town like people can do, pay ahead with a meter reader. It's a pain and probably the worst idea I've seen in a long time.

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Here still telling you OXXO and a few other places you can pay .... but I'd bet these installers are on commission and will tell you anything. CFE is a 40 min bus ride and a long walk from here

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In San Cristobal de las Casas, they are telling everyone that everyone will be on the system by January 22015..I will go over and speak to them tomorrow. My neughbor said that they came to our house several time but since I am rarely here during the day I just got notes under my door.. Show down tomorrow...

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Atta girl! Let us know how it goes! When speaking to CFE, what is the Spanish expression for "what part of 'no' do you not understand?" This is something I need to learn. Perhaps a stern look and the sign of the cross is good for more than werewolves?

I think these guys have some kind of deal going that involves a kickback from CFE. YA THINK???

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ere so far they have not touched the meters without permission but the people here are not easy going and if the price does not go down next month hell will break loose. What has surprised me is that they are going along with the change but cfe is only a few blocks away it is a very different story for the people at Lakeside.

I guess that CFE did not think the whole thing through so the conversation tomorrow is going to be

interesting .

I will post what they say here. DOes not mean they will do the same thing in Jalisco but it is good to know what is going on in other places just in case , there is some good idea somewhere..

It seems to me that if they let people go back to the whole system they may not have the right to

change the meters, I wonder if they can enforce their way in the long run.

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Osuespirit, I got a new meter, but NOT the smart meter, just a regular new meter, as two guys from CFE came (in uniforms) and determined that my old meter was defective. I had to pay for the new meter (why am I not surprised) but like you, my costs have gone WAY down, so much so that going solar is no longer at the top of my agenda, altho it is still on my agenda.

Why I am not going ballistic about CFE, one may well ask. Well me, I do not have a gun. And they are but $%&/()ic flunkies who know not what they are doing, OBVIOUSLY, QED, so one has to take pity. Perhaps it would help us all to organize a laugh-in at CFE. We could all dress as clowns with CFE on our hats. And there would be press coverage! NOT that they would care, they are all flunkies. But we would have FUN and work off a little of our anger, and get press coverage, photo in the Guad Reporter if we alerted them to the protest. Sounds like fun to me, and (ha) we could all go to lunch afterward. By candlelight!!!

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If CFE reps are saying we can pay at locations other than CFE, they are lying. None of the places outside of CFE have card readers. The representatives signing people up for the card are commissioned and they are not direct CFE employees. I found my card laying in the front yard. I didn't agree to it so I guess agreeing to it doesn't make a difference and I don't feel like making multiple trips to have it cancelled.

My bill is the same as it was when it was a two month bill. The only advantage is to CFE because it gets its money once a month and is not paying someone to read my meter.

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yes the advantage for CFE is not to pay meter readers although if it is not compulsory they still have to pay some people. So they pretend to be more efficient and we do not get a rate break Manwhile it is

inconvenient and much worst for the consume who has to spend time and money to help CFE save money. Typical government move. They do not care about consumes period.

This morning I am going to the CFE office down here to hear what their line is, it should be interesting . I gues s that when I am not here they will have to cut ff the electricity for the 20 somepeos I will not have paid..makes sense...

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My meter is jumped for the fourth week thanks to this scam. They put card on your smart meter and put card on doorstep other than they did this to me and didn't leave card. CFE doesn't know what to do. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE! and yes I was shouting. They won't fix meter. Four service calls logged to protect myself from them telling me I jumped the meter. Same thing has happened to a business friend twice at the plaza in Ajijic.

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I went to speak with CFE in Chiapas and basically they told me that everyone will be on the meter by January 2015 or be disconnected..

Here no choice to pay ahead, have to pay at CFE.

You have a choice of the date you scan the card, they gave me a bunch of days and then you have 10 days to pay. If you are not there therefore cannot pay they will cut off the elctricity and you can have it turned back on when you come back. I told them I was impressed with their thinking but that if I had people clening up the place or friends staying there I would have no water if we did not have electricity..they were totally inflexible.

Meanwhike in some barrios that are totally indigenous, they willnot go as they ould get kill so as usual they will be screwing around wit the law abiding citizens and stay away from the dangerous places.

I was told that many indigenous do not pay the electricity and this is why they going on this system, by the ook of it nothing will be changed but we will be inconvenience. There was a long line of people having problems with the card this morning..

I have a feeling that you guys are fighting alosing battle unlees you start setting up those guys on fire like they do in some places down here...I am beginning to see their point, may have to get a can of gasoline. Meanwhile I will not be her so I will until the last minute or even past the last minte and we will see..

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I went to speak with CFE in Chiapas and basically they told me that everyone will be on the meter by January 2015 or be disconnected..

Here no choice to pay ahead, have to pay at CFE.

You have a choice of the date you scan the card, they gave me a bunch of days and then you have 10 days to pay. If you are not there therefore cannot pay they will cut off the elctricity and you can have it turned back on when you come back. I told them I was impressed with their thinking but that if I had people clening up the place or friends staying there I would have no water if we did not have electricity..they were totally inflexible.

Meanwhike in some barrios that are totally indigenous, they willnot go as they ould get kill so as usual they will be screwing around wit the law abiding citizens and stay away from the dangerous places.

I was told that many indigenous do not pay the electricity and this is why they going on this system, by the ook of it nothing will be changed but we will be inconvenience. There was a long line of people having problems with the card this morning..

I have a feeling that you guys are fighting alosing battle unlees you start setting up those guys on fire like they do in some places down here...I am beginning to see their point, may have to get a can of gasoline. Meanwhile I will not be her so I will until the last minute or even past the last minte and we will see..

I'm in the process of putting a metal cage around my meter, so that it can't be changed out in my absence. The news of a cut off date to change the meter is of major concern. Also, it is confusing, because there has been no word locally in Lakeside about a 2015 date.

I asked my contractor/electrician/plumber to check this out, since he hadn't heard any word of this. He is going to check locally and I'll post back here with what he finds. He's Abraham Dorado, who is very reliable and has been recommended many times by forum members.

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In San Juan Cosala they changed my digital meter to the new card system when I wasn't home and left the card and instructions in my mail box. I called the central office in Mexico City 071 and explained that when I travel food in my fridge would spoil. And they told me there is no way to pre-pay the bill with the card. I also went to the Jocotopec office with a letter in Spanish stating the same ( in Spanish) and talked to the jefe and gave him my card. The system was changed back to my two month cycle which I can prepay in a month. My gardener also told me they changed his electric reading system without him being home and they changed it back after his request in a month. Someone has come up with a very bad idea.

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I thought I had an old meter, but never paid much attention because the meter is quite above my eye level, and i'm tall. I checked a few weeks ago and found that I had a digital meter, not the old kind with the little dials. It had a few cobwebs on it, so I guess it's been there for a while. Is a digital meter the same as the "smart" ones? I never had a card, and get the bi-monthly bills. WTF???

My Mexican neighbors who have "smart" meters say their bills have gone up - a lot, in come cases, since the new meter was unceremoniously installed without their knowledge or consent - and they are, ahem, angry.

There are definite health concerns with having these things scanning your electric use 24/7. I have this information from my health care provider and other smart people. The frequencies that they emit are incompatible with human health.

What a scam! They are putting meter readers out of a job, as well. So, everyone has to go personally to CFE in Chapala to pay their bills?? What a load of crap! What is this? Screw the people in order to improve your bottom line? In all fairness, I understand this is happening all over the world. not just here.

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Well, it is happening, but here in TX it's acceptable. It's totally automatic, it is "read" and billed automatically, there is a very extensive and informative website I can go to and find usage up to about 1 day ago, trends, temps and more and for less than $.12 per KWH. So, smart meters can be a good thing - when properly implemented.

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Very true Giltner. The same in WA state in the country maybe starting 13 years ago. But here, the suggested plan is a very poor idea for everyone but CFE.

At least per the Chapala CFE office who has given handouts to places like esunenergy, the folks who put in my solar panels, this option is purely voluntary. I hope that CFE soon sees how dumb this idea is.

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