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C.F.E Bill Triples in Six months


CHILLIN

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Our C.F.E. bill is out of control. It has tripled over six months, whereas not a single useage has changed. An electrician is coming out today. It has went from 1,000 pesos for two months, to the latest 3,000 per two months, deep into DAC. Could it be a faulty meter or short? Anyone else experience this? The main test will be to turn off the power for the whole house, and then see if the meter is still spinning.

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I had a similar problem and we haven't been able to resolve it. Can't find a place where someone might be tapping in. The meter turns when everything is off. One theory that I wonder about is CFE's "Oh, You Lucky Gringo" award. You win the award of the mystery bill and get to pay them more money. My bill also jumps up in December for the "Oh, You Get To Buy CFE a Christmas Present" award.

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This is a suburban house on three lots - I can't see a "tapper". Ironically, our Mexican cleaning engineera, suggest the Xmas thing too. We thought she meant all the lights, etc., but we didn't do that this year.

Will go over the past bills and see if KWs have increased. We can't see why, but I guess that is what the meter is reading. If we need a new meter - what is the latest on the digital ones? They were a real mess when they first came out.

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We installed Solar when we bought: Bills range from 1xx to 8xx and vary every damn month...

Last month 3xx this month 8xx... No change in usage... Was Ist Los? as they say in the old country....

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Years ago I heard a lady telling her friends that her husband had finally cemented over where he had tapped into a neighbours electric. She wasn't concerned that she was stealing just relieved the neighbour could not find where they were doing it. If your meter is still turning when everything is turned off you are paying for someone else usage you should check further.

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Nope - no spinning. 650 kms last month, November period 2016, 1,300 pesos. 655 kms this period, 2016-2017, 3,070 pesos. I asked a Mexican friend - she said what do think Mexicans are so upset about!?!?? Seven people are dead with the protests and unrest. She has been to rallies in Guadalajara. She said the rise for gasoline was 22%, the rise for CFE- DAC rate was 60%. No appeals, no tricks, we are dealing with seasoned, professional criminals here. The bus fares are now out of control - kids that have to take multiple buses to get to school are screwed. Our gardener/farmer just shrugged and said, turn your power off - tell them you don't want it any more, it is too expensive. Luckily I still haven't sold my 2,000 watt marine inverter, golf cart batteries, and all the accessories. I could easily go off grid. Still have my antique ship lanterns, kerosene. Still have a vehicle which can run on cooking oil, will see if I can find a diesel generator which can do the same Let the Revolution begin! Looking for some inexpensive solar panels, hopefully used. Will not be feeding the grid for credits. My Mother Earth's glorious gift, and I'm going to keep it, not give it away to scoundrels to waste on their corruption.

Ha ha I sound like that British comedy show, with two suburban couples in the advertising game, one quits and turns their backyard into a natural, clothing optional, paradise, while the other one stayed in the game, snobby as heck, complaining about the smell of goat dung. Anyone remember the name?

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1 hour ago, Sea said:

I had a similar problem and we haven't been able to resolve it. Can't find a place where someone might be tapping in. The meter turns when everything is off. One theory that I wonder about is CFE's "Oh, You Lucky Gringo" award. You win the award of the mystery bill and get to pay them more money. My bill also jumps up in December for the "Oh, You Get To Buy CFE a Christmas Present" award.

Yes our Mexican  friends tell us everyone's bill goes up in December and sure enough it did.

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I hate to be so obvious in my recommendation, but here it is: take you bills to CFE in Chapala. The main guy there has perfect English. Tell him the size of your house, show him the bills, and cry a little. This worked for us: it turned out that our meter was defective and was making little jumps as the dial spun around. Based on the small size of our condo, the CFE manager in Chapala told us there was no way the reading was accurate, and CFE changed our meter. But, we paid the bills as there was no way, short of pulling a gun out, that they could change our previous bills. The experience was a bit costly, but all is well now, and we have small bills.

Oh, and by the way, in a separate incident, we were conned by CFE employees into paying to change our meter--beware of people in CFE shirts coming to the door and saying that for a mere 1,000 p. they can change your meter and save you money. Hope they caught these guys but haven't been back to ask.

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I can tell this story but I cannot tell who told this to protect the guilty

The teller was paying a lot for CFE so he paid someone 300P to "adjust the meter".  The next bill was huge so he went to CFE to complain.  CFE came out and agreed that the meter was defective, pulled the meter and said they would be back with a good one.

They did come back with a good one a WEEK LATER!!!

I laughed so hard I almost wet my pants..............

 

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4 hours ago, CHILLIN said:

Nope - no spinning. 650 kms last month, November period 2016, 1,300 pesos. 655 kms this period, 2016-2017, 3,070 pesos. I asked a Mexican friend - she said what do think Mexicans are so upset about!?!?? Seven people are dead with the protests and unrest. She has been to rallies in Guadalajara. She said the rise for gasoline was 22%, the rise for CFE- DAC rate was 60%. No appeals, no tricks, we are dealing with seasoned, professional criminals here. The bus fares are now out of control - kids that have to take multiple buses to get to school are screwed. Our gardener/farmer just shrugged and said, turn your power off - tell them you don't want it any more, it is too expensive. Luckily I still haven't sold my 2,000 watt marine inverter, golf cart batteries, and all the accessories. I could easily go off grid. Still have my antique ship lanterns, kerosene. Still have a vehicle which can run on cooking oil, will see if I can find a diesel generator which can do the same Let the Revolution begin! Looking for some inexpensive solar panels, hopefully used. Will not be feeding the grid for credits. My Mother Earth's glorious gift, and I'm going to keep it, not give it away to scoundrels to waste on their corruption.

Ha ha I sound like that British comedy show, with two suburban couples in the advertising game, one quits and turns their backyard into a natural, clothing optional, paradise, while the other one stayed in the game, snobby as heck, complaining about the smell of goat dung. Anyone remember the name?

There is no way this is right. CFE rates did go up but about 5% for DAC, not 120% as you were billed. You should check your bill maybe they did not credit your payment for the previous month or sometimes they don't take a reading and charge doubld the next bimester.

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Could I have misunderstood what was written above? The only way a bill can more than double is if you were on Tariff 1 and then during less than a year you consumed more 3000 KWH  ( That is an average of more than 250 KWH per month) If your bill no longer says tariff 1 but DAC, you rate per KWH will more than double and your bill will be several thousand pesos'

Under tariff 1, foe Jan your first 75 KWH per month costs 92 centavos per KW including 16% VAT, your next 65 KWH costs $1.35 per KW after that it goes up to $3.25 pesos per KWH.  Why are the rates so low because they subsidize people who average less than 250 KWH per month.

However should you average more than 250 KWH per month and consume more than 3000 KWH in the previous 12 month or less than 12 months,  All of the subsized amounts are dropped and you pay as of January you pay a monthly fee of $111 pesos plus for each and every KWH used you pay not $0.92, or $1.35 or $3,25 for the first KWH you consume Rather each and every KWH costs you PAY $4.82 pesos for each and every KWH which would more than double a users bill.

Many of us who were in DAC discovered that we could greatly lower our bills by using photo voltaic Solar panels and lower our levels to get out of DAC I used to pay maybe $3,500 per billing period, Not any more, I purposely got 2 panels more than was recommended and my bill costs $23 pesos per month or now that I am billed every other month $46 pesos for two month.

If I misunderstood your situation, Sorry for the detailed description of the CFE billing policies here in Central Mexico

 

Here is a link explaining it all in /Spanish  CFE Tariff rates

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Now if your breakers are all off and the meter is still spinning, the problem could be the meter but often it's something that is not right between the meter and the breakers. Maybe a partial short where a little power is leaking (inefficient short that acts as a ground) or maybe someone is robbing the power between the meter and the breaker or maybe if you looked inside your breaker box, you would find that someone had rewired it so as not to show that the extra wires went to another person

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10 hours ago, CHILLIN said:

Nope - no spinning. 650 kms last month, November period 2016, 1,300 pesos. 655 kms this period, 2016-2017, 3,070 pesos. I asked a Mexican friend - she said what do think Mexicans are so upset about!?!?? Seven people are dead with the protests and unrest. She has been to rallies in Guadalajara. She said the rise for gasoline was 22%, the rise for CFE- DAC rate was 60%. No appeals, no tricks, we are dealing with seasoned, professional criminals here. The bus fares are now out of control - kids that have to take multiple buses to get to school are screwed. Our gardener/farmer just shrugged and said, turn your power off - tell them you don't want it any more, it is too expensive. Luckily I still haven't sold my 2,000 watt marine inverter, golf cart batteries, and all the accessories. I could easily go off grid. Still have my antique ship lanterns, kerosene. Still have a vehicle which can run on cooking oil, will see if I can find a diesel generator which can do the same Let the Revolution begin! Looking for some inexpensive solar panels, hopefully used. Will not be feeding the grid for credits. My Mother Earth's glorious gift, and I'm going to keep it, not give it away to scoundrels to waste on their corruption.

Ha ha I sound like that British comedy show, with two suburban couples in the advertising game, one quits and turns their backyard into a natural, clothing optional, paradise, while the other one stayed in the game, snobby as heck, complaining about the smell of goat dung. Anyone remember the name?

You used up your subsidized 3000 KWHs before the allowed 12 month period  ended and will be in the DAC from now on úntil your 12 month average goes down to 500 KWHs every 2 months.  655 KWs per 2 months is over consumption. Not much you can do.

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Years ago you could go to CFE and change the name on the account (say from the husband's name to the wife's name) and that would start you as a new user and get you out of DAC immediately.  I don't know if it works that way anymore but it would be worth a try.

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Thanks all for your help. This last bill went into DAC 2. The normal bill for 650 kws doubled. As Alan has described. Our useage varies widely in billing, but we can't see what lifestyle or useages are unusual month to month. For example this same two month Xmas period last year was 310 kws. I think we will add panels a couple at a time, first to save 150kw per month, then down to the day when grid power is cut off, except in an emergency. Can still keep internet and phone lines. So is $2,000 peso a panel (125 and higher) a good price starting point for solar panels?

Will ask them to check out the meter. If the meter is faulty, I believe they only have digital to replace it

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15 hours ago, CHILLIN said:

Ha ha I sound like that British comedy show, with two suburban couples in the advertising game, one quits and turns their backyard into a natural, clothing optional, paradise, while the other one stayed in the game, snobby as heck, complaining about the smell of goat dung. Anyone remember the name?

The Good Neighbours (their last name being Good). Also known as The Good Life. A great show from back in the mid-70s.

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27 minutes ago, mexilady said:

Years ago you could go to CFE and change the name on the account (say from the husband's name to the wife's name) and that would start you as a new user and get you out of DAC immediately.  I don't know if it works that way anymore but it would be worth a try.

I just heard via Real Estate agents (who's task it is to change over CFE paperwork when selling a house) that they are clamping down hard these days...

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Johanson gave a great explanation of the most likely reason for the jump in the CFE bills.    650 kWh while still on tarifa 01 is a very different amount from the same use once you have gone into the DAC rate.

For this amount of use bi-monthly, the ideal solution is to produce 400 kWh of power in those 60 days, taking the net consumption down to the CFE "sweet spot" of about 250 kWh, at about 1 peso per kWh, for bi-monthly bills of about 250 pesos.   (It does not really pay to go to "0" since the cost at this level of use is so inexpensive)

A 1.5 kW size system should provide this amount on a year round average basis, this can be 6 x 250 watt panels, 5 x 300 watt, or any equivalent.

Would definitely recommend a grid-tied system, let CFE be your "battery", it is much simpler and less expensive than storing it yourself.    No need to build credits, just nice low-low CFE bills going forward once back out of DAC.

 

 

 

 

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