State-owned power utility buys 15,000 prepaid-type meters

Santo Domingo.- The State-owned power company (CDEEE) CEO Celso Marranzini on Thursday said the utility bought 15,000 new, prepaid-type meters to provide that service to more users, and denied that the device makes electricity more expensive.

"We can’t change rates, it’s the Electricity Superintendent which varies rates. It’s not more expensive,” the official said. “It’s cheaper because it has been found that everyone who uses prepaid meters is monitoring their consumption, the loss is reduced by 20%. Also remember that we changed all high consumption light bulbs for low-consumption ones at no cost to the users of this method. "

He said the meters will arrive in the country in mid-July. "The installation capacity is quick, they could be on the system within one month," but noted that the service is only available in the sector El Manguito, and will also be installed in Villa Juana.

Marranzini, who didn’t specify the cost of the meters, said the program’s goal is for 300,000 people to have energy 24 hours.