Electricity in Udon Thani

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nostalgiadamus
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Electricity in Udon Thani

Post by nostalgiadamus » May 2, 2012, 8:43 pm

Isn't it about time the head honcho, locally, was named and shamed?

Any more than a few drops of rain and the electricity closes down - mine was cut, tonight, before one drop had, even, fallen!!

Now, I have a tremendous admiration for the Thai people, in Isaan, BUT if they are not prepared to put pressure on Khun "X" then things will never change.

At times, I think that their obsequious attitude does them no favours.

Indeed, I can imagine some saying (to Khun "X") "Thank you maak maak for allowing us not to use candles, all of the time".

The fact that the electricity prices, in Thailand, are exhorbitant seems, just, to pass them by!!

Sheesh!!



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parrot
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Post by parrot » May 2, 2012, 9:25 pm

"The fact that the electricity prices, in Thailand, are exhorbitant"

My most recent electricity bill was 1435 Baht for 388 kilowatt hours. That's roughly $47.
That's right at the average cost for the same amount of use in the US as of December 2011.

Power cuts/power dips/low power......very dependent on where you live in Thailand. We suffered through all of them in the first few years of living outside the city....but for the past 3 or 4 years, our power is very reliable, very stable...even for single phase power.

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Post by gudtymchuk » May 2, 2012, 9:31 pm

Three hour outage last night and another one hour power outage tonight. So far during the short election campaign season I've seen a poster for a high speed monorail, a huge ferris wheel and tomorrow I expect to see another campaign poster promising reliable electric service... gotta love it!!
What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

nostalgiadamus
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Electricity in Udon Thani

Post by nostalgiadamus » May 2, 2012, 9:48 pm

My last bill (for April) was 3,774.92 THB, for (I'm guessing) 944 - 944 what Ihave no idea (my bill does not explain that).

However, in the UK that would equate to (around) £246 per quarter (expensive), with a much less (in Thailand) reliable service.

So, to re-iterate, does anyone know the name of the person responsible for the "sham" that is allowed to be called a service?

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Khun Paul
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Post by Khun Paul » May 3, 2012, 6:15 am

While I am not backwards in coming forwards complaining about the Thai services be they Infrastructure or just plain Thai selfishness, I have found over the years the Electricity prices going up, albeit gradually.

recently having had major problems with my Electricity supply, and after many calls to the PEA Hotline, I must say that the chaps from Egat who came to my home were as professional as could be, they sourced the problem and then dealt with it in a manner that told me on the supply side I would no longer have a problem ....which I haven't.

As to the price, it is not that expensive and I found that in reality the need for Air Conditioning which is expensive to run can be kept under control by making sure that the system is properly maintained and used when needed as opposed to have it on all day which after living here for some years I find I no longer need, ( not that I ever did in any event ).

I have a friend here who every night, has his Air Con on supplying between 14-16 degrees so he can sleep and he complains about the cost.Why I ask him, its hot he said, so the question is why come to a hot country, get used to it or pay the bill without complaining. My largest bill over the years has been nearly 2500 Thb and that was when there were four people living in the house. Now it is an acceptable 1000-13000 Thb and I have Air which is on at the moment for 2 hours when I go to sleep and that's it.

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merchant seaman
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Post by merchant seaman » May 3, 2012, 6:57 am

I remember when there use to be 2-3 days without electricity. Now that was something to complain about. Everything in the fridge cooked and shared with the neigbors or throw it out.

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parrot
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Post by parrot » May 3, 2012, 8:27 am

"My last bill (for April) was 3,774.92 THB, for (I'm guessing) 944"

944 is the number of kilowatt hours used. If my math is right, at an average cost of 10pence a kwh in the UK, you'd be paying 94 pounds for the same amount.
Equating the electrical service in Thailand (a developing country) with that of the UK (a developed country) is hardly a fair deal. I bemoan the days when power goes off like everyone else, but I'm also thankful that I can live in the jungle, far enough away from town to escape, yet have satellite tv, phone, adsl, mobile phone, and enough electricity to power a few ac's/microwave/computer etc.
Be happy you're not living in a condo/apartment somewhere in Bangkok/Phuket/Pattaya. Using 944kwh of electricity would cost you dearly!

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Post by bluejets » May 3, 2012, 9:55 am

At around 4 baht a unit that is fairly consistent charge with other parts of the world.
What isn't is the amount of power you are using. I imagine the 944 units was over 1 month as it is here and that is 4 times my wifes usage and she runs a laundry business with machines running all day.
I think you should just turn off a few of the A/c's and maybe take a cool shower. People just do not realise how much power a/c units consume.
As for the one who has his a/c at 14-16 degrees, that must be one hellofa V8 a/c system. Again, I see people who think a/c is like a stove element. Turn it up for more heat, down for more cold.....doesn't work like that. If it is not cold enough at 23 degrees, then turning down to 18 degrees achieves nothing. It will never get there, just chew heaps of Kwh.

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BobHelm
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Post by BobHelm » May 3, 2012, 10:09 am

As bluejets says over 900 units in a month is, indeed, one large amount of electric.
Having aircon on all night in the bedroom (but set to 28 degrees) & using fans during the day with windows & doors open I struggle to get to 350 units a month, but remain relatively cool. I did, after all, come to Thailand from the UK in some small part to enjoy the far more pleasant temperatures here than back home. :D

I do agree with the OP about the blackouts we seem to be receiving this year.
It seems that any rain this year results in the power doing off. A worrying trend that I have not previously noticed. In previous years a major thunderstorm has caused issues but I think that is only to be expected as the chance of a lightening strike damaging the system must be considerable. This year it appears that it is the actual rain that is causing an issue. That does not bode very well for the rainy season to come.
I can only hope that the electricity supplier has just had some unfortunate incidents this year that have now been resolved.

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Electricity in Udon Thani

Post by KB_Texas » May 3, 2012, 10:38 am

Well, after leaving Dallas last year after one of the hottest summers on record, I do not complain about my electricity bill here...it is less than half what it was in Dallas. My worse here was $148, while the AVERAGE in Dallas was ~$190.00, with $300.00+ in the summer. (dual AC units in a 2 BR loft apartment) The largest bill I remember from Dallas was $349.00.

As for power outages, Dallas implemented rolling blackouts last year due to the heat. When you got turned off, it was off for 4 hours. Not much different than here actually.

So I guess some of you haven't been back to the States for a while, or lived in places where the utilities charges are actually controlled. (Atlanta was about what it is here)

KB

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Post by mortiboy » May 3, 2012, 11:41 am

I live north of Udon,ring road,For now, going on 3 months, electricity goes off and on throughout day and night.
About every 5 minutes power drops to a trickle. lights in the house go out, micro oven dont work, air con dont work
Fan stops turning,Neon lights take about 5 minutes to start up
Computer shuts down. when restarts,wont down load files. Real problem get it going again.
Luckily I use missus lap top so have battery back up.
In the village,all complain but nothing ever done.Now it appears it will be fixed in 2 months!
Would be a good news item" Home TV ". But not for me to complain as I am only a foreigner
Seems Thai tolerance works well on this one.

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ajsp9
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Post by ajsp9 » May 3, 2012, 1:31 pm

944kwh would probably cost £140 in the uk inc VAT, so almost double your 3700 baht you paid (OP), so in terms of a cost comparison, you are half the money in Thailand.

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Post by jimboLV » May 3, 2012, 2:13 pm

To compare, just got my bill for April down here in Amnat, 1787 baht for 472 KWH. We have 3 A/C units @ 9,000; 13,000; and 24,000 BTU for an approximately 200 sm. house. We have a small Internet shop on the premises with 6 computers (not air-conditioned). On hot days if we are at home, we usually turn on the 24,000 A/C unit at about 1 or 2 PM, off at 8 or 9 PM. The 13,000 unit sometimes on about 3 PM when the little one gets home from school, off at 8 or 9 PM. The 9,000 unit in the bedroom rarely needs to be turned on, and we probably could have done without it. But it is nice to turn it on during the day if we are having a "nooner". :-"

As a comparison, when we lived in Udon, in a tiny 76-sm. house in Lake Garden City, our bill in the hot weather was in the 3 to 4,000 baht range. With 9,000 and 13,000 BTU units. We ran the units considerably more there than here. Our Udon house was unlivable without A/C. I'm talking 36 to 40 degrees C INSIDE the house, and lasting well after 10 PM. Here it is just uncomfortable but tolerable.

The difference? We designed and built our house here with an eye toward the heat. Surrounded by trees or large overhangs, the window and outside walls rarely see direct sun. The attic space is ventilated, and the walls are cement block (non-insulated). No attic insulation.

In Udon the walls were red brick, terrible for heat. They hold the heat well into the night. You could touch the walls at 9 PM and they were still warm, while here at the hottest time of the day the walls are cool to the touch and they remain that way into the evening. Also no shade and short overhangs so the walls were almost always in the sun.

Electricity here does go off maybe once or twice a week but never more than an hour or so. And rarely during a storm, usually on a bright sunny day. Typically you will hear a loud "BOOM" from somewhere in the distance, than a few seconds later the power goes off, or the voltage drops to about 150V or so. Could be a transformer blowing up, and taking an hour or so to replace?

I consider the cost to be a bargain compared to the States. For my house in Las Vegas my bill in the hot season ran $350 per month, about 10,500 baht! This for a 2,300 sf house with central air that was always on in hot weather, plus a ½ hp swimming pool pump that ran most of the time. I used to keep the thermostat at 78 F, about 26 C, as I do here. And in the hot season we're talking temperatures a1 110 to 115 F, 43 to 46 C.

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Post by douglas » May 3, 2012, 4:11 pm

Hi
Just been looking at last months electric bill. The highest we have had for a while. There is normally 2 adults and one child in house. 13 years old. Last month eldest was home from Uni. So four of us. In a three bedroom bung. Only got one bedroom with A.C. This was used at 28C most nights because i was bad. The bill was 1371.84B. Normally bill is under 1,000B. Back home, in 2005, we were paying 13 pence per unit, about 26B a unit. Now that is what i call expensive. I was living in a ground floor single bedroom flat, double glazing and insulated. I had a gas fired cooker, hot water and central heating, but i was paying a lot more for electric, in 2005, than i have ever paid paid here.
Last night the electric was off for just over an hour, otherwise quite good. and supply stable the last four years. I bought a pack of six candles four years ago, 2 have not been used and the other four are no more than half used.
Don't know, wither living within a kilo of the power station has anything to do with it ir not.
But i am happy with it. The only thing i have noticed is in the morning when they switch on another power supply, as demand increases, they sometimes don't do it correctly, and you can get a dip. at about 0700Hrs.
If you are renting a place, they can put their own meter in, and they can charge you what they want.
Another drawback to renting.

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Post by semperfiguy » May 3, 2012, 5:33 pm

I too had my highest electric bill in nearly two years last month. Compared with the same month last year it was nearly double, which tells me that it just got hotter sooner this year. My wife said she heard an announcement on TV that rates were going up next month by twenty satang per kilowatt hour (PKH). I checked my monthly receipts for the past two years and they varied between 3.37 to 3.67 baht PKH. I agree with a previous poster as to the futility of setting a thermostat to a lower degree than the unit is able to cool the room. I just really noticed this yesterday when it was 39 C outside and I had my bedroom thermostat set on 23, but it never cooled the room below 27...and that was still comfortable for me. I had no idea that I had become so acclimated to the weather here. 27 C is around 85 F, and I used to always have my thermostats set on 70 F back in the States.

This morning I finally gave my wife a crash course on relative humidity and how it affects the way our bodies feel. Finally got tired of "conditioning" the air in the house all night long only to have her fling open all the windows and doors first thing in the morning and see the inside humidity go from 66 to 83 in a matter of minutes. Thirty minutes later I have the A/C back on because it feels like I'm sitting in a sauna bath while I'm having breakfast.

For my next trick I'm going to give her a class on how a thermostat works! Wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by bluejets » May 4, 2012, 7:23 am

semperfiguy wrote:
For my next trick I'm going to give her a class on how a thermostat works! Wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!
Best of luck with that. Never managed it yet.
jimboLV wrote:The difference? We designed and built our house here with an eye toward the heat. Surrounded by trees or large overhangs, the window and outside walls rarely see direct sun. The attic space is ventilated, and the walls are cement block (non-insulated). No attic insulation.
Best advice you can give to anyone. Just drive down the highway and feel the heat emitting off the road, then pass under an overhanging tree (there are many here) and you will feel the temp drop 10 degrees or more.

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Post by dtammakhung » October 24, 2014, 9:04 am

For a rented apartment what it he usual unit cost for electricity as of October 2014?

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Post by BobHelm » October 24, 2014, 9:16 am

Whatever they want to charge you, but it should be clearly stated in the rental agreement.
The price that the landlord might be charged by the electricity company is no easy thing to gauge either.
There are various rates that can be charged according to how the building receiving electricity is viewed by the electricity company.

I currently pay 6 baht a unit & the landlord gets a few satang per unit out of that - which I do not have an issue with.
I understand that the apartments at AEK were (I have no idea if this is still true) charging 12 baht a unit but that they were on a high tariff as the attached hospital was a big electricity consumer.
When I was renting a house I used to pay the electricity company issued bill directly at 7/11..

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Post by dtammakhung » October 24, 2014, 12:02 pm

Had a friend who was entitled to free 50 units of electricity even though she was in a big block of apartments. She had the same rights as a thai person perhaps because she had a work permit? Or perhaps landlord kind enough to put account in thai name and pass on the savings.

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Post by dtammakhung » October 24, 2014, 12:05 pm

What do you pay for water Bob?

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