# Utilities



## PatrickMurtha (Feb 26, 2011)

Is it easily possible, or quite difficult, to find apartments in Mexico where the stove and water heater are electric rather than gas? My apartment in Culiacan for the past three years is gas-based, but I hate gas! I'll be moving to a new apartment in a new city (to be determined) for the 2014-15 school year, so I was wondering if I should put much effort into finding an electricity-based apartment.

An electric water heater could be of either the tank or tankless (flow-through) variety.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

PatrickMurtha said:


> Is it easily possible, or quite difficult, to find apartments in Mexico where the stove and water heater are electric rather than gas? My apartment in Culiacan for the past three years is gas-based, but I hate gas! I'll be moving to a new apartment in a new city (to be determined) for the 2014-15 school year, so I was wondering if I should put much effort into finding an electricity-based apartment.
> 
> An electric water heater could be of either the tank or tankless (flow-through) variety.


Electricity rates in Mexico might make that an expensive luxury. Have you looked into the energy consumption issues.


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## PatrickMurtha (Feb 26, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Electricity rates in Mexico might make that an expensive luxury. Have you looked into the energy consumption issues.


Well, I don't use the stove much. And a tankless heater is only consuming much electricity while you are actually using the hot water (mainly one shower per day, for me). So I don't think the consumption would be TOO bad.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

PatrickMurtha said:


> Well, I don't use the stove much. And a tankless heater is only consuming much electricity while you are actually using the hot water (mainly one shower per day, for me). So I don't think the consumption would be TOO bad.


Have you considered an electric shower head? They heat up the water as it flows through the showerhead. One brand which I know is available in Mexico is Lorenzetti. They are more common in Central America, but I know they are also used in Mexico. They are inexpensive and not complicated to install, although if you don't know much about electrical installations you'd want to bring in an electrician. Ask for a "ducha eléctrica" or "regadera eléctrica". 

I think the only electrical stove I've seen in Mexico is of the double hotplate variety. For a full electrical stove/oven the apartment would need the higher voltage outlet. If you don't cook much, would a hotplate suffice?


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## PatrickMurtha (Feb 26, 2011)

ojosazules11 said:


> Have you considered an electric shower head? They heat up the water as it flows through the showerhead. One brand which I know is available in Mexico is Lorenzetti. They are more common in Central America, but I know they are also used in Mexico. They are inexpensive and not complicated to install, although if you don't know much about electrical installations you'd want to bring in an electrician. Ask for a "ducha eléctrica" or "regadera eléctrica".
> 
> I think the only electrical stove I've seen in Mexico is of the double hotplate variety. For a full electrical stove/oven the apartment would need the higher voltage outlet. If you don't cook much, would a hotplate suffice?


I use a hotplate now, as a matter of fact, so that totally works, And the electric showerhead idea is a great one. I'll look right into that possibility. Thanks so much!


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

An electric shower head won't be use of much use when you want to wash dishes, or you could just stick to paper plates!


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> An electric shower head won't be use of much use when you want to wash dishes, or you could just stick to paper plates!


And wait for the electricity bill!


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## charlie131120 (Nov 30, 2013)

PatrickMurtha said:


> Is it easily possible, or quite difficult, to find apartments in Mexico where the stove and water heater are electric rather than gas? My apartment in Culiacan for the past three years is gas-based, but I hate gas! I'll be moving to a new apartment in a new city (to be determined) for the 2014-15 school year, so I was wondering if I should put much effort into finding an electricity-based apartment.
> 
> An electric water heater could be of either the tank or tankless (flow-through) variety.


Up until the end of 2013 there has been a 50% government subsidy applied to the CFE bill. You can see it if you look at your bill. There hasn't been much said about it - but that subsidy has ended, I _think_ that is nation wide, So - your electric bill is about to double ! I'd love to be wrong in my expectations,,,


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## PatrickMurtha (Feb 26, 2011)

charlie131120 said:


> Up until the end of 2013 there has been a 50% government subsidy applied to the CFE bill. You can see it if you look at your bill. There hasn't been much said about it - but that subsidy has ended, I _think_ that is nation wide, So - your electric bill is about to double ! I'd love to be wrong in my expectations,,,


I was aware of the subsidy, not aware of it ending.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> An electric shower head won't be use of much use when you want to wash dishes, or you could just stick to paper plates!


All the Mexicans and Central Americans I've stayed with use cold water to wash their dishes. Some of them even continue that when they live in a place like Toronto where hot water in the kitchen is readily available. However, my husband has become accustomed to hot water for washing dishes, so he's decided to run hot water pipes to the kitchen in our house in Tepoz - currently the boiler is only connected to the shower. I was okay with only cold water in the kitchen, but I'll be happy to have the hot water option!

In terms of the electricity bill, I think it really depends on how long that daily shower is. A five-minute daily shower probably won't add much to the bill, whereas a 30 minute one will. Also, you'll quickly find out that the temperature of the water with these showerheads depends on how strong the flow is. If you turn the water on full blast, it will be much cooler then if you keep it at a moderate flow. I've used these showerheads for years, and I find them reasonably comfortable - and I hate cold showers!


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Solar water heaters are becoming more common. When we built 15 years ago they were expensive and hard to find, but not any more. Any of my friends and relatives who‘ve installed one are very satisfied with it.

I’ve become used to a gas stove and come to prefer it to an electric one. As for washing the dishes, we don’t have hot water in the kitchen, but I do heat water on the stove for dishes if they are very greasy, or if the weather is cold as it is these winter days.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

maesonna said:


> Solar water heaters are becoming more common. When we built 15 years ago they were expensive and hard to find, but not any more. Any of my friends and relatives who‘ve installed one are very satisfied with it.
> 
> I’ve become used to a gas stove and come to prefer it to an electric one. As for washing the dishes, we don’t have hot water in the kitchen, but I do heat water on the stove for dishes if they are very greasy, or if the weather is cold as it is these winter days.


Are you able to recommend a solar water heater company or brand? The current small boiler at our place is wood-burning! May help me become more Zen as I patiently wait for warm water for my shower, but not the most practical. We would like to install a solar water heater.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Sorry, I can’t. We don’t have one (yet). I would suggest looking at them at hardware stores in your area to see what’s available. Ideally, if you can find people in your region who have them, they could tell you what to watch out for.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

I believe that my co-moderator, Tundra Green, had a solar water heater installed in his house in Guadalajara. He's out of the country right now. When he gets back to Mexico in about a week, I'm sure he'd be happy to answer any questions you may have about getting your very own solar water heater in Tepoztlán.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

ojosazules11 said:


> Are you able to recommend a solar water heater company or brand? The current small boiler at our place is wood-burning! May help me become more Zen as I patiently wait for warm water for my shower, but not the most practical. We would like to install a solar water heater.


Rotoplas brand, they make a very good solar heater at a very reasonable price
I have installed many of those


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

To lessen the pain CFE is in the process of switching to a monthly billing instead of the bimensual we have that way people will have the same bill amount,,,just will have to pay it every month instead of every two months..it is all in the presentation.

All solar customers in our area are being billed monthly but the others will eventually as well. CFE just hopes no one will notice!


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