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Letters To The Editor - March 4, 2017

Dear Sir,

I am writing about the CFE (electric utility) billing system. 

A year ago we received a very large CFE bill for two months.  At first I thought there must be an error, since we had in the past received a one-month bill on the three-tier billing system (Tariff 01).  

After several visits to the CFE office in Chapala, I was informed that they had changed the system.  Not just for solar customers, but for everyone.  Now the billing is for two months, and if the net consumption exceeds 500 Kwh (over two months instead of one month) the tariff is automatically switched to DAC which charges the full amount at 3.755 per Kwh.  I was advised to reduce consumption below 500 Kwh every two months.

Our efforts have been successful, and in the most recent two months we used 399 Kwh.  But the tariff remains the expensive DAC.  I am now informed by CFE that they will only switch us back to tariff 01 after three billings (six months) below 500 Kwh.  Moreover they don’t credit the overpayment after that time.  Of course they don’t wait to switch you to DAC if you exceed the magic 500.

Is this fair?  No.  Can they do whatever they want?  Of course. 

Michael Warren, Ajijic