BajaNomad

electric rates

Bruce R Leech - 5-18-2013 at 02:42 PM

Here is some information regarding how CFE (the electric company in Tijuana) charges for electricity.

CFG bills it's customers bi-monthly. CFE bills in three rate tiers. 0 - 150 kWh at the lowest rate, 150 - 250 kWh at an intermediate rate, and > 250 KWh at a much higher rate (double the intermediate rate).

The first 250 kWh of electricity is subsidized by the Mexican government. This subsidy helps out people who don't consume much electricity each month (small homes, apartments, and people who conserve). Unfortunately, there is a concept called "alto consumo" that occurs if you use more than 500 kWh, bi-monthly, of electricity over an average of one year (or more than 6000 kWh in a year). If you are a high consumer, you lose the government subsidy and pay much higher rates for all of your electricity usage. Once you get on the "alta consumo" rates, it is very difficult to get back to the lower rates since you need to reduce usage enough to lower your average usage to under 500 kWh bi-monthly, for one year.

Recent electric rates (December 2010, sorry can't seem to locate my February 2011 bill):

0 - 150 kWh .707 pesos per kWh (6 cents USD per kWh at 11.8 pesos per USD)
150 - 250 kWh 1.177 pesos per kWh (10 cents USD per kWh)
over 250 kWh 2.489 pesos per kWh (21 cents USD per kWh)

As you can see, the electric rates are over twice as expensive once you are over 250 kWh bi-monthly. When you are on the lower, government subsidized rates you pay $19 USD for the first 250 kWh. If you are on "alta consumo" this same 250 kWh cost you $52.50 USD since everything is billed at the highest rate. So you are penalized $33.50, every 2 months, of $201 per year if you use average over 500 kWh bi-monthly over a year and end up on "alta consumo". Well worth conserving electricity to stay under 500 kWh, bi-monthly. Even better if you can average under 250 kWh bi-monthly.

Here Is An Edit For Amplification

DavidE - 5-21-2013 at 10:18 AM

Noted as: DAC on a power bill. Different regions have different tiers. Summer in Mexicali and Caborca for instance have 1st and 2nd tiers to 800 kWh without traveling upwards into "excedente" May to November. Then it drops back. When trying to figure out rates from "La Comisión" it is very helpful to visit your local CFE office and they will provide a copy of the rate structure "tarifa" for your area.


Depending on your tariff (located on the top of your CFE bill) the chart below shows max usage before DAC rates kick in.

Tarifa Límite para ingresar a tarifa de alto consumo
1 500 kWh/ bimestre
1A 600 kWh/ bimestre
1B 800 kWh/ bimestre
1C 1,700 kWh/ bimestre
1D 2,000 kWh/ bimestre
1E 4,000 kWh/ bimestre
1F 5,000 kWh/ bimestre

[Edited on 5-21-2013 by DavidE]

El Jefe - 5-22-2013 at 09:19 AM

My electric bill was $35,000 US in 2005. It has been free ever since!

But please, don't do the math. I don't even want to know how many years my payback would be if we could even get electricity out here.

DavidE - 5-22-2013 at 01:53 PM

El Jefe,

You are no longer relying on used dinosaurs to see at night. That to me is a pretty big reward!

BornFisher - 5-23-2013 at 08:37 PM

Great info.......... thanks! A friend who lives in a trailer, has a bi-monthly bill over $250. Something is wrong, unless his TV and fridge can use up that much juice. I`ll tell him about the average rate for a year (BTW I think someone is tapping his line).
One thing though-- don`t you mean 3000 hWh in a year?

willardguy - 5-23-2013 at 09:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BornFisher
Great info.......... thanks! A friend who lives in a trailer, has a bi-monthly bill over $250. Something is wrong, unless his TV and fridge can use up that much juice. I`ll tell him about the average rate for a year (BTW I think someone is tapping his line).
One thing though-- don`t you mean 3000 hWh in a year?
uh, are you talking 250 DOLLARS or 250 PESO's??? over the course of a year it was rare for my electric bill to exceed 100 PESO's in my rosarito studio in san antonio del mar. have him hit his main breaker and go look at his meter and see if the wheel is spinning.

Bajatripper - 5-24-2013 at 06:51 AM

In La Paz, we jumped into the "alto consume" category just about the time our old wheel-spinning electric meter was swapped out for a digital one. Have heard the same from others in the area.

capitolkat - 5-25-2013 at 01:20 PM

WE also jumped into the alto group three months ago. New meter- we got one last year??? But we did have a wine cooler that ran constantly ( now replaced) and our usage has gone down considerably- we seldom use AC and when we do it's only at night in the room occupied. We think we'll be below the threshold next billing.

vandenberg - 5-25-2013 at 02:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by capitolkat
WE also jumped into the alto group three months ago. New meter- we got one last year??? But we did have a wine cooler that ran constantly ( now replaced) and our usage has gone down considerably- we seldom use AC and when we do it's only at night in the room occupied. We think we'll be below the threshold next billing.

Norm, What kind of money are we talking about?
Here in Nopolo we are pretty big consumers, with 3 fridges, a freezer, two kilns, plus regular consumption for TV,PC's, washer/dryer and cistern pump.
Our bill for the last 2 months was about $325.00US

DavidE - 5-25-2013 at 02:37 PM

Keeping a 1A under 150 kWh bi-mestral is inexpensive. Wouldn't it be fun to find a way to get 1F rates!

capitolkat - 5-27-2013 at 11:29 AM

Vandenberg-- We also have two refrigerators and one outdoor refer, a stand alone icemaker and the wine cooler, pool pump etc. Our bi monthly consumption was around 1000-1500kwh until a year ago when it jumped to 2700 in may-july and over 4000kwh july- oct. Once we replaced the wine cooler it again dropped to the 1500kwh bi-monthly in Dec-Feb,and 1300kwh ending in April for the last bill, now we are just waiting for the average to drop below the alto-consumer rate, may take a couple of more cycles.

laventana - 6-1-2013 at 03:21 PM

Can you tell us what the rate is when you hit the "DAK" rate.
Heard rumors it is higher than the max rate but never saw one of those bills.

I am a 1D zone in lapaz area.

Also a tip some people change the name to the wife and they sstart a new account. So you are back to square one.

I have be doing my meter readings for water almost every day or two for 14 years when I am down in baja.

A newer fridge is about 4kwh a day. A mini fridge is about 1-2. a small deep freeze is about 2-3. A very small 7000btu AC just used at night is 10kwh per 8 hour night. Water pump for casa is about 1kwh a day.

here are a few charts I have found... can not promise they are accurate but seem so to me. this is monthly...





at my blog I have the posted rates and shows the areas what your clasification is.

http://la-ventana.forumotion.com/t321-cfe-electric-rates-vs-...
Quote:
Originally posted by capitolkat
Vandenberg-- We also have two refrigerators and one outdoor refer, a stand alone icemaker and the wine cooler, pool pump etc. Our bi monthly consumption was around 1000-1500kwh until a year ago when it jumped to 2700 in may-july and over 4000kwh july- oct. Once we replaced the wine cooler it again dropped to the 1500kwh bi-monthly in Dec-Feb,and 1300kwh ending in April for the last bill, now we are just waiting for the average to drop below the alto-consumer rate, may take a couple of more cycles.




[Edited on 6-1-2013 by laventana]