# Cost of Electricity in Mexico



## Mike_Allison

Can anyone tell a ballpark cost of say a 2 bedroom condo well equiped in the Playa Del Carmen area would be monthly? We are looking in the area for a long term rental and need to figure the cost of living. Thanks!lane:


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## nctomexico

Mike_Allison said:


> Can anyone tell a ballpark cost of say a 2 bedroom condo well equiped in the Playa Del Carmen area would be monthly? We are looking in the area for a long term rental and need to figure the cost of living. Thanks!lane:


It really depends how much you use AC and what time of year you will be here. We have a three bedroom in Puerto Aventuras and only use ac at night in one bedroom (we have the mini split ac units...not central ac). But we have also acclimated to the warm weather. We use our washer/dryer for 3-4 loads of laundry a week. We have a gas stove and gas hot water heater. Our ceiling fans are running pretty much non-stop. The highest bill we had was about 3,200 pesos (for two months) and that was height of summer with non-stop guests who needed more ac as well as some construction work going on. On average, just the two of us....$150 usd for two months. 

The big question is: is the unit central ac or mini-split? I would think central ac would really jack up your bills.

Also, once here...you will find that you need ac less and less (as you acclimate) and that will help to lower your bills. In the winter months, the ac is rarely on.

Hope that helps, good luck on your move!


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## sparks

From $6000 pesos for two months using lots of AIR to $400 using only fans. I live on the west coast and don't use AIR but have been here 5 years+


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## conklinwh

I don't live at the beach but assume electricity rate structure from CFE is equal.
Historically, Mexico has had a 3 tiered home rate where the 1st 150kw/two months about 1/2 US rate, next 100kw/two months about equal to US rates and every thing above that about double US rates. Starting last year, CFE added a "high user" rate that we fondly refer to as the "****** rate". If you use over 500kw/two months, you don't get the value of the tiering but go direct to a rate about 2.5 times the US rate. Therefore real value to staying below 500kw for two months. Granted that much easier in the mountains where no AC and what heating we need in cooler mornings is from gas logs.


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## RVGRINGO

Our situation is similar, in Chapala. We have no need for AC and our only need for heat is supplied by a single propane radiant heater in the living room, to knock off the early morning chill or to watch TV when we're too lazy to put on more clothing.
Cooking is by propane, as is water heating (with some solar) and the clothes dryer is also gas.
We occasionally use a tower fan and all lighting is compact fluorescent.
As such, our electric bill is about 475 pesos every two months (about $20 USD per month). If you keep your consumption this low, you will be in the basic to intermediate billing range and our bill is partially subsidised, as we live in town; not in a fraccionamiento.


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## TundraGreen

For one more point of comparison...

With a big house, no air conditioning, no heating, no appliances, mostly compact fluorescents, a computer and modem that are always on, a refrigerator, a water pump and one person plus a few visitors, I use around 150 kWh/two months for a bill around $130 pesos. The refrigerator is new and its specs suggest it accounts for half of my usage.

Interestingly, the bill from CFE claims that the actual cost of production of the energy is around $600 pesos and that the government subsidy pays around $500 of it.

Memo


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## makaloco

And yet another ... I'm in La Paz, BCS, on the Sea of Cortez coast.

Single person in a small house, no AC, no heating, fridge, microwave, coffeemaker, washer/dryer (rarely use the dryer), all three years old or less. Computer system but no TV. Lights mostly compact fluorescent. Two water pumps plus a pool filter pump that runs 2 hrs./day and while cleaning pool. Five large ceiling fans and a floor fan that get heavy use between mid-August and mid-October. Stove and water heater are propane.

I use a lot more electricity in summer because of the fans (and fridge, as I'm an ice-a-holic), but our CFE quotas are also much higher in summer (400 kWh with 175 on lowest rate, vs. 200 kWh with 75 on lowest rate in winter). For a given year, my bills probably average 400 pesos every two months, a little over $15 US /mo.

I lived in Egypt (same climate) for 25 years before moving here.


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## abscissa

We have a 2 bedroom casa (1300 sq ft) on the beach east of Progreso with fans (5 total) no A/C big fridge, LCD TV (maybe 2 hrs a day) and small electric HW tank and our bill runs around 250 MP for 2 month


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## Mike_Allison

Thanks, I appreciate the info. We are renting a 2 bd 2 bath condo in Playa Del Carmen for a month and part of the deal is that we pay the electricity.


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## kcowan

We are heavy users and our bills seldom exceed 2000 pesos for 2 months. The computers run all the time as do the satelite receivers. We have an electric dryer which contributes. Also a 50" plasma TV.

I remember back when it was hot that we used fans regularly. Lately we have used one heater at night. Although we have minisplits for every room, we seldom use them.


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## RVGRINGO

Wow! You are heavy users! Your electricity costs are almost ten times our usual bills. That shows how hard it is to give folks an 'estimate of living costs in Mexico'. It is a large and varied country with many different climates and widely differing lifestyles.


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## kcowan

RVGRINGO said:


> Wow! You are heavy users! Your electricity costs are almost ten times our usual bills. That shows how hard it is to give folks an 'estimate of living costs in Mexico'. It is a large and varied country with many different climates and widely differing lifestyles.


Also our rates are 1B which are higher than 1D and have lower clip levels for all three tiers. Even within 1B, there are differing rates by geography, with higher rates paid in predominantly tourist zones. My usage is 3950 kwh for the last year but peaks at 950 for 2 months.


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## RVGRINGO

In our area, anything over a certain KwH total per year puts the customer into the DAC Rate (we call it the punishment rate) and also adds additional fees, all of which is something like four times the basic rate for electricity. That is probably different in other areas.
Mexico does encourage conservation by its escalating rate schedule; something very foreign to most expats.
Climate does make a big difference and we don't need AC or furnaces. In fact, we seldom even use a fan in months other than April & May.


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## kcowan

RVGRINGO said:


> That is probably different in other areas.
> Mexico does encourage conservation by its escalating rate schedule; something very foreign to most expats.
> Climate does make a big difference and we don't need AC or furnaces. In fact, we seldom even use a fan in months other than April & May.


Yes the CFE set rates based on need. So in the summer months, the first 170 kwh is at the Basico rate because everyone uses fans. In the winter months, only 45 kwh is Basico so they expect you not to need as much power. This really nails the gringos who like to run AC all the time.

These rates are different by colonia and by month.


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## Chali Chan

*Rates just hit the roof*

In Cuernavaca rates have increased 90 to 100% this month with CFE. So you now pay double for using the same amount of power 500KWH (example) or less in a two month period, approximately 2,230 pesos.
I contacted CFE with this question and they could not give me a real answer. They did say however that it is normal policy that anyone using over 500kwh in a billing period will be billed at premium rates 100% more. But then then could not or would not answer if this was NEW policy or why this billing premium was not applied in the previous years.
90-100% increase... I mean hey are we in Nigeria? Is their any rational business in the world that makes such an increase. This is a supplement for 10 years pluc inflation.

Many pueblas in surrounding areas have made denuncias against the company, some of the poorest users have increased their electric fees by an average of 3-400 pesos. 
I heard that the company openly admitted a 10% increase at the beginning of the year. THis appears to have been a major misleading misinformation to the public.
CFE is probably the biggest supplier in Mexico and this probably effect a majority of the country. I have not checked. 

I feel sorry for those who need A/C


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## RVGRINGO

I really doubt that. It would appear that you may have just exceeded the KWH limit and been bumped up to the DAC rate.


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## Guest

I just paid my 2 month bill at the end of December, and had used the electric room heater at night for about 3 weeks during the billing cycle. 

Total used: 372 kWh. Total due: MX$655. (normally runs about $350 every 2 months)

Rates on the bill state:
Basico: 150 kWh @ 0.707/kWh 
Intermedio: 100 kWh @ 1.177/kWh
Excedente: 122 kWh @ 2.489/kWh
Suma (total) = 372 kWh 

Seems reasonable to me, but maybe the rates in my area are lower.


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## Chali Chan

No errors, the previous 8 months were even more usage than the last and were only 1,200 pesos. Its in the newspapers with alot of denuncias being filed by pueblas against CFE.

The users with the lowest bills, normally below 200 pesos are now 300 to 400 pesos. Now this is not above the elevated usage rates but is an increase across the board. 
I paid...pay taxes for my corporation for over 8 years, I just learned HSBC and my accountant along with help of Hacienda workers stole every payment en route from the bank to the Hacienda. I have all my paperwork which saved me from going to jail, however the Hacienda does not care about the thefts and is doing nothing to stop the ongoing tax thefts....????? The bank manager was arrested for 19 counts of fraud but that still did not stop the rerouted tax payments.
Now this is typical and after living here so long should not surprise me CFE or any agency would do something like this.


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## conklinwh

As usual, I believe that RV ****** is most correct. I got into it with CFE last year and they said that new tariff (DAC) introduced for users over 500kWh/2 months. Instead of the old 3 tier rate rate which for me is .705/kWh for 1st 150kWh, .846/kWh for next 100kWh and then 2.353/kWh, the DAC rate is a flat 2.944/kWh. Mostly because of all the pumps with multiple cisterns and buildings, we are right on the hairy edge of 500kWh so a real key.


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## makaloco

My bimonthly bill just came today, 346 pesos for 392 kWh. I'm on Tarifa 1D, and these were winter months of November and December. "Básico" rate (first 150 kWh) went up from 0.683 in the same period last year to 0.707, same as GringoCarlos. "Intermedio" went down from 1.129 to 0.849, probably because my total usage was under 400 kWh this time (it was 434 kWh last year, and my bill was 588 pesos). Our low rate quota is 200 /mo in winter and 400 /mo in summer. If we average over 1000 kWh /mo over the last twelve months, we're bumped into the DAC.

You all know how to find this info on the CFE website, right?
Páginas


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## conklinwh

Interesting, our DAC clip level is 500kWh for two months. One of the things that catches a lot of people is that usage often estimated and typically low. Therefore catch up a problem. I always cringe when "Lectura actual" says Estim versus a number as I know at some future point I will have an unpleasant surprise.


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