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Be aware that Costa Rica has the second highest electricity costs in the world, just behind Singapore. Rates increased about 40% in 2010 and have been continually rising. Ticos have not been as sensitive to these increases as Gringos who want their A/C comfort.
We have a condo near Jaco and have a few +$700/month electric bills when the 2,200 sq. ft. condo was occupied for a full month.
I will be installing the ‘Nest’ IP thermostats so that I can better control the A/C settings (the major culprit) both when I’m there and remotely via the internet from the U.S.
At 3000 feet altitude and above in the Central Valley, you will not require air conditioning at all. But at or near sea level, I can’t see how any North American can have a comfortable life style without air conditioning. Screw living at the coast! I will visit whenever I feel the urge but I won’t live there.
A friend of ours felt like her bills were too high. Three electricians later, she found one who knew his stuff and her bills dropped by 60%. He also told her not to turn on the lights in the garage as the wiring was dangerous – a problem he will fix.
So, have things checked out. You may be in for a surprise.
I’ve been told that to keep from hitting the high consumption premiums you need to break up your house, pool, pumps and AC’s into separate meters. Any truth to this?
[quote=”VictoriaLST”]A friend of ours felt like her bills were too high. Three electricians later, she found one who knew his stuff and her bills dropped by 60%. He also told her not to turn on the lights in the garage as the wiring was dangerous – a problem he will fix.
So, have things checked out. You may be in for a surprise.[/quote]
We had our 2900 ft home rewired within months of moving in. All of the wiring was sub-par. Our electric runs about $200 per month with 12 residents.
[quote=”waggoner41″][quote=”VictoriaLST”]A friend of ours felt like her bills were too high. Three electricians later, she found one who knew his stuff and her bills dropped by 60%. He also told her not to turn on the lights in the garage as the wiring was dangerous – a problem he will fix.
So, have things checked out. You may be in for a surprise.[/quote]
We had our 2900 ft home rewired within months of moving in. All of the wiring was sub-par. Our electric runs about $200 per month with 12 residents.[/quote]
When I had my home built in Arenal I paid extra to have a heavy duty electrical service and 200amp panel put in to wire the house. Cost was minimal and unlike a lot of folks I find no problems with wildly varying bills. Also put in a whole house surge protector that seems to extend the life of anything using electricity.
CR electricians use low grade light wire in my opinion which leads to many of the issues folks bring up about cost and reliability of their electrical service. Best advice if building a home here… pay for a better grade of materials or bring several rolls of Romex cable from the states to wire your home. Money well spent in the long run!
We are having our house rewired as soon as a reliable tech is available. Is Romex cable available here?
[quote=”VictoriaLST”]We are having our house rewired as soon as a reliable tech is available. Is Romex cable available here?[/quote]
If so, it’s hard to find. My builder ships it in from NAM.
[quote=”VictoriaLST”]We are having our house rewired as soon as a reliable tech is available. Is Romex cable available here?[/quote]
It may very well be available in Liberia. Romex will most likely be expensive in CR but well worth it for new construction or a retrofit of a substandard electrical service. While you’re at it have your tech check everything back to your meter including your electrical service line to the house. Undersized wire and poor electrical connections (including the Frankenstein cutoff switch) can be blamed for a lot of problems.
If possible upgrade your electrical panel and breakers at the same time as well as putting in a whole house surge protector. All money well spent in the long run! Trust me on that!
I’ve used Alfredo in Arenal for a number of different project over the years. He’s jack of all trades and makes great suggestions for corrections and improvements. I’ll be using him in September for a ceiling fan installation and some additional electrical work at the house. I trust him completely. He doesnt work as cheaply as some folks but he’s well worth it!
Him and his wife own the Hollywood internet cafe across from the soccer field in Arenal. You can contact him there.
Tell him the big gringo from Vista Surena on Guatuso road up in San Antonio referred you! LOL
[quote=”sweikert925″]A little off-topic, but for something like Romex cable that you buy online from Amazon – is it at all practical to do so given shipping costs and import duties?
I took a quick peek on Amazon and for 250 feet of Romex cable it’s priced anywhere between $69.59 and $436.29. (I’m not an electrician and I know there’s different grades of cable but that seems an awfully wide range in price. But I digress).
Amazon does ship internationally (including to Costa Rica based on what I read) but what kind of taxes/duties you might be expected to pay on something like that. Anyone have any experience to share?
[/quote]Like a lot of products that might not be available or reasonably priced…. or for which the CR equivalent is far from acceptable…. I throw it in the luggage between trips or have someone bring it from the states. I’ve never had a problem with customs and have brought in tons of things over the years for myself or others. Save your receipts and just put your luggage up on the conveyor belt like the rest of the tourist!
Electrical Cable is supposedly “Duty Free”, but VAT WILL be added, nonetheless. Then there’s shipping, and electrical cable isn’t exactly lightweight. A reasonable rule of thumb could be around 30% uptick on the US Retail price.
That said, Electrical cable / breakers, etc. are the very LAST thing I’d cheap-out on when building a home down here.
I could tell you stories of places I rented & what builders told me…but I’m sure you’ve heard them all.
BTW – our nickname for the Liberia “Do It Center” is the “Do You Center” due to the ridiculous prices.
I recommend you get a GOOD electrician to spec out your product list, then try to donkey the stuff in through checked baggage. I had a neighbor carry in my LED Eco-Smart lightbulbs from the Home Depot, saving me about 50% vs. local LED Bulb prices, (plus the quality is less ‘suspect’ because I know the Eco-Smart brand uses Cree lighting engines, which are the best). 8 months in, not a single one (of about 25) has blown out.
[quote=”dundalk1″]I recently rented out my condo again in Tamarindo, shocked to get the electric bill today which is $320 for the last month.
I know Aprils a hot month so lots of air con being used but that seems outrageously high. Is that normal for the area ? Thanks[/quote]
OK… I see LOTS of high users here. I live in the mountains near Turrialba, have 2 TVs, a computer, fridge, lights, ect., and my bill runs $30 to $40 a month. Get real, folks, get down, go Tico if you live hereor take your high usage NORTH.
@ SWEIKERT: It gets shipped to the address in CR that you specify, and most people will a service such as Mail Boxes Etc., (that’s who I use), or Aerocasillas, etc.
You have to pay the Customs when you retrieve it unless you ship using something like Amazon Global that collects the estimated Customs fees upon ordering. (Presumably they ‘true up’ the actual Customs fees later – but not sure though – I’ve never tried).
When I’ve shipped stuff here via Mail Boxes Etc., it gets shipped to a special MBE address in Miami, then forwarded here. MBE pays the shipping / customs charges on my behalf, then I reimburse MBE when I pick up.
Not sure every company pre-pays these charges for you. Some people abandon their stuff when they get the sometimes horrendous bill for the shipping/customs fees, so if the company pre-pays on your behalf it’s their risk. I have a good relationship with MBE, and the owner knows I won’t abandon my stuff so she pre-pays on my behalf. I guess if you don’t have the company pre-pay your Customs fees for you you might have to go retrieve your stuff from some Customs holding location. I don’t know.
[quote=”jerry”][quote=”dundalk1″]I recently rented out my condo again in Tamarindo, shocked to get the electric bill today which is $320 for the last month.
I know Aprils a hot month so lots of air con being used but that seems outrageously high. Is that normal for the area ? Thanks[/quote]
OK… I see LOTS of high users here. I live in the mountains near Turrialba, have 2 TVs, a computer, fridge, lights, ect., and my bill runs $30 to $40 a month. Get real, folks, get down, go Tico if you live hereor take your high usage NORTH.[/quote]
Oh the joys off mountain top living! Beautiful views, wonderful breezes, less insects, and NO air conditioning! That’s the killer! The beaches are beautiful but after a day of baking in the sand it’s nice to “chill” out with a cold one in a cool place…. but that comes at a cost.
To each his own. Small price to pay for those so inclined.
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