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BiggerBlackouts and increased electricity service provoke complaints from users
Customers' irritation is compounded by the fact that, despite the extensive power outages, their bills for service remain the same, and in some cases, higher.
Santo Domingo— With the arrival of the hot summer months in the country, there is inevitably an increase in electricity consumption to combat the high temperatures that are scorching Dominicans.
Adding to the recent wave of power outages that have sparked protests among the public are complaints of high utility bills, despite the inconsistency in homes and businesses.
“I had a bill of RD$3,600, even though my house only has two fans and a refrigerator. So, I’ve filed complaints through the app a lot, but they never lower it, and I started doing so when they raised it to RD$1,200 ,” explained Madeline, a resident of Las Caobas, Santo Domingo Oeste, while describing how she suffered power outages lasting up to six hours.
Similarly, but several kilometers away, Víctor Núñez said that two months ago he was paying RD$6,000, but now his bills are reaching RD$14,000. When he complained to the nearest electricity distribution company , they responded that his constant use of temperature-regulating devices is causing his utility bills to rise.
However, he noted that this option is excessive for his expenses and did not rule out filing claims for a future one.
This thought was echoed by another resident of Las Palmas, who, although he clarified that he has Bonoluz , the latest payments he made seem excessive for what he was originally receiving.
Protests
As a result of these persistent power outages , citizens are rioting in strikes and protests to demand that this basic service be restored to its regular schedule.
Communities located in the National District , Santo Domingo East and West reported that they remain in the dark for more than 10 hours, calling it unreasonable.
With peaceful marches and tire burnings, communities in different regions are protesting to make their voices visible and express their discontent.
The light at the end of the tunnel
In recent days, President Luis Abinader spoke out against the blackouts and explained that it is due to the delay in the entry of 600 new megawatts into the system, the increase in demand caused by high temperatures and the presence of sargassum that has affected the operation of plants such as Punta Catalina.
He assured that the government continues “doing everything possible” to address the public’s discontent.
Meanwhile, Celso Marranzini, president of the Unified Council of Electricity Distribution Companies (CUED), promised on the program El Día, broadcast on Telesistema, Channel 11, that the problem will be resolved by the end of this year.
If a politician promised there would be more blackouts, he would be totally believable.
In La Vega we lose power every day (1 to 3 times a day) for 1 to 4 hours at a time. The rates are very reasonable but reliability leaves something to be desired. I guess we are lucky compared to other districts. However, customer service at the office is non-existent.