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Getting out of DAC


Ferret

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I didn't get to post this information before the Mod closed another thread. Just as well I suppose. But, the info in this thread may enlighten some others and show that the blame for higher electricity consumption does not necessarily have to be the fault of the CFE.

I thought this might be a good place to put this thread... especially for those who always want to blame CFE for higher than normal bills. Have a friend who is trying to figure out a "what the hell" situation in Joco right now.

http://www.insidelakeside.com/t19466-cfe-getting-out-of-the-dac

 

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I love my solar system. I have had it since 2008. Sure it cost more then, but it has paid for itself several times over. Both my electric bill and my natural gas bill has dropped to next to nothing. I got two more photo-voltaic panels than recommended, which means that my electrical bill is only $46 pesos every other month. And I no longer need Zeta gas for hot water.

Because I generate slightly more electricity than I need, I can very occasionally heat the bedroom and bathroom electrically upon rare occasion, you know when it's really cold and you don't want to start a fire and watch some of the heat going up the chimney

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In case anyone doesn't know, small appliances which heat up very hot very quickly, are huge energy sucks. Think hair dryers, irons, toasters, and toaster ovens. If you are concerned about your high CFE bills, that's one way to try to cut it back. I.e. start making your grilled cheesers in a pan on the stovetop, rather than using a toaster oven.

Also, I can't believe how many people think that leaving everything plugged in and on, only uses "a tiny bit of electricity". If you have an electric toothbrush that just stays plugged in even when it is fully charged, and your TV, DVD player, and other electronics "on", meaning the little red lights are on, rather than shutting down completely when not in use, and leave your computer on overnight, and cell phone and laptop chargers plugged in when not needed, all that stuff adds up. Not an enormous amount, but could be enough to put you over the line into the dreaded DAC.

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Well stated mudgirl!

I totally agree that solar is the way to go and I'm getting a quote tomorrow... even though my last electric bill was only 321 pesos.

Still, just because you have solar or have a low electrical consumption doesn't mean that you shouldn't keep an eye on what you're using and how it's being used. Reduce, reuse, recycle is still a personal mantra for the betterment of the planet.

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I am moving into a 2 bedroom home with a real jacoozi bathtub. What is the extra cost or surcharge for this dreaded DAC and about how many pesos per month would be a good estimate of my bill if we use the whirpool for an hour every day? Assuming we conserve elsewhere as is recommended but with no solar panels. 

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Another electrical thing you can save money on by using more consciously is your water pump. Some people have pressure pumps, some have cisterns with simple pumps to their tinakos. Many people have water usage habits that cause the pump to go on more often than it really needs to. I know people who wash the dishes with the water running full volume and wash each dish individually under the running water, rather than just filling the sink and washing them all at once and giving them a quick rinse with running water, not turned up to the max. Ditto for leaving the water running when you're brushing your teeth. And do we really need to flush the toilet every time we have a little tinkle? 

I am very conservative in my water usage simply because I have limited water supply. But it also affects the electric bill to use water cavalierly when it's not really necessary.

However, I know its hard for most people to change their habits.

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10 hours ago, Dan M said:

I am moving into a 2 bedroom home with a real jacoozi bathtub. What is the extra cost or surcharge for this dreaded DAC and about how many pesos per month would be a good estimate of my bill if we use the whirpool for an hour every day? Assuming we conserve elsewhere as is recommended but with no solar panels. 

Check your CFE bill, the answer is right there.     The government "subsidy" (Aportacion Gubernmental) is stated for anyone not in the DAC rate (for residential, this means Tarifa 01 shows in the upper right corner).     

DAC at lakeside = consumption of 500 kWh or more, on average, per 2 month bill.     If your consumption is close to this, say 450, and your extra use puts you just into DAC, the bill will approx double or a bit more.

Whirlpool bath consumption depends on the size of the pump and whether an electric heater is involved.   If pump only, and let's say it uses 1.5 kW (1500 watts) per hour, each hour of use would add 1.5 kWh to the consumption, or about 90 in a 60 day billing period.    YMMV.....

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36 minutes ago, bedbug said:

I have had 16 solar panels in operation for the last 7 years. Every year my CFE bill has gone up. I have been in the DAC for at least two years now. I can only imagine what my bills would be without the solar.

I can not imagine what would keep a household in the DAC despite having 16 solar panels. That is astounding.

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Xena,

Are you sure that your solar panels are actually producing and feeding back to CFE?  Or, do you have a pool and lots of other heavy electrical consumption?  Please tell us more.

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RV - NOT XENA, it's Bedbug that has the massive use.

1 minute ago, RVGRINGO said:

Xena,

Are you sure that your solar panels are actually producing and feeding back to CFE?  Or, do you have a pool and lots of other heavy electrical consumption?  Please tell us more.

BEDBUG -  please let us know WHAT is causing you to be in DAC - old/dirty solar panels? electrified fence? 24/7 security lights? pool pumps that run almost continuously? Lots of older electrical apparatus that are not energy efficient.

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14 minutes ago, Ferret said:

Neither can I Xena. Something's wrong somewhere.

Here's a possible:  My casita had one of those "on demand" water heaters installed.  It stopped working last month, and when the plumber/electrician came, he discovered a bad short in it. Rather than replace it,  I replaced the elderly gas main water heater for the  house with a larger gas unit and had the plumber run a line from it to the casita. ( There wasn't room enough in it for a "regular' water heater there.) I don't have a new bill yet, but the plumber said it was a likely cause for my being in the DAC rater with 9 solar panels on the roof and otherwise energy efficient appliances. 

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No I don't have a pool. I do have a fridge and separate freezer and pond pumps, but I had them when the system was first installed.

It is difficult to get service when your original solar installer is no longer in business. I did finally locate a company in Guad that was willing to help. Some adjustments were made, but it is too early to tell if they will make any difference.

One recurring problem I had was that the voltage out of the the solar system was very high, 139 volts, enough to blow out appliance computer panels. I found out I could install a voltage regulator on the solar line and this has solved that problem. (Yes I had asked about this before the original company disappeared and was told that it wasn't necessary and wouldn't work.)

But the overriding problem, I think, is that once you get into the DAC, you can't get out unless you use no power at all for at least six months.

 

 

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57 minutes ago, bedbug said:

No I don't have a pool. I do have a fridge and separate freezer and pond pumps, but I had them when the system was first installed.

It is difficult to get service when your original solar installer is no longer in business. I did finally locate a company in Guad that was willing to help. Some adjustments were made, but it is too early to tell if they will make any difference.

One recurring problem I had was that the voltage out of the the solar system was very high, 139 volts, enough to blow out appliance computer panels. I found out I could install a voltage regulator on the solar line and this has solved that problem. (Yes I had asked about this before the original company disappeared and was told that it wasn't necessary and wouldn't work.)

But the overriding problem, I think, is that once you get into the DAC, you can't get out unless you use no power at all for at least six months.

 

 

We got out of DAC immediately after solar panels were installed.  We used STI Solar Technology Intl.   Here's a contact form:

http://solartechnology.com.mx/contact.php

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BedBug. We have different voltages here in Mexico than the US or Canada. The official voltage is not 110 or 120 like it is up North. By Mexican law the voltage must be 127 volts and can not vary by more than plus or minus 10%. That means anything from 114.3 volts to 139.7 volts is acceptable.

Some 10 years ago the voltage got so high at night that it reached 143 to 146 volts.  Jsun of eSunEngery leant me a software program that measured the power day and night every minute or so and created a printout.  I took the printout to CFE and after a debate got them to come out and step down the local transformer to a more acceptable level. These days I live near a newer stepdown transformer that doesn't have that many houses connected to it yet and my voltage is always (any time I read the plugin Kill-a-Watt meter) within 125 to 130 but usually closer to 127 volts

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I have 13 solar panels and running 6.5 hours a day right now . I have a pool cover but the pool is only getting to 84 - unacceptable to my wife. . I've been here 8 months in this house and no electric bill to date other than confirmation of address and change of meter..

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I rented a house by the airport about 10 years ago.  There was no meter.  There was one in the past but it had been taken out and never replaced.  I went to CFE and requested a meter so that they could start billing me.  They came out and put a note on my door with a confirmation number and saying that they would return to install the new meter.  Five years later when I moved, the words and numbers on the note had faded and it had fallen off of the door and still no meter.:lol:

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  • 3 weeks later...

We are renting and pay electric. Our bill runs $4000-5000 every cycle. We've done everything we can think of to get it down. Landlord says that when they lived here the bill was around $1000. CFE showed us that the prior tenants bills ran just over $4000. We're now looking for an electrician to go through the house to help us figure our where the problem is.

I'm looking for a referral to a local "electrical detective" to help us figure out what the problem is. Recommendations appreciated!!!

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