Summer Hideouts

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I generally do not like cities. But I can easily imagine a journey south on Mex 57-D to San Miguel de Allende, with a side jaunt to Guanajuato. Then continue south with another spur sideline to Patzcuaro. Back to the perifierco circumventing the big enchilada or camping out and diverting by bus to the season of the capitol's cleaner air season.

Continuing to Puebla then to Oaxaca. To the coast with the air conditioner maxxed out, buzz on down to the intersection at Tepanatepec, then shoot inland and upward to Tuxtla Gutierrez then on to San Cristobal de Las Casas.

A trip like this can easily chew up 180 days so why not head for the border, Guatemala that is, spend time at Lake Atitlan, return to Mexico and get a car permit renewal and FMT if needed then laze one's way northward along the Pacific coastline, when the interior's morning breezes get whiskers on them...

Tis the season to dream...

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I was sitting in the Espinoza residence when California deregulated electricity and the money maggots went for the jugular. The same class of people as the new owner that raised the price of the lifesaving EPI PEN 500%.

It brought forth headlines down here. People were astounded at what the utilities were being charged.

That educated the Mexicans. They learn fast.

Privatize CFE?

I
Don't
Think
So

[Almot]

Mexican subsidized system is a beauty, I hope they will be able to continue it for some years more.

[Talleyho69]

Pesos

[Almot]

Talleyho69 wrote:
63.83 kwh Total bill: $108.83

Which $ ? 🙂

[Talleyho69]

Just got our two month bill today: 26 cubic foot Inverter refrigerator/freezer, water pump and motion detector lights (LOTS of them): 63.83 kwh Total bill: $108.83

No we aren't there, but staff is in 4 times a week, and the refrigerator is basically empty, so not at it's most efficient.

[Almot]

Camp packed with gringos all sitting on 50A pedestals will surely kick the owner into DAC. This is passed to campers, likely with a top-up, for his trouble. $1.50 cup of coffee doesn't mean that coffee is that expensive.

Single guy paying residential rate must really try hard - all year - to get into DAC.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I have an 11.7 EER wall unit. And one time I went into DAC. Then SECOND STAGE DAC when a bunch of RV'ers insisted on 2 air conditioners going when sitting on the patio. I was faced with an EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLAR bi-mestral that lasted in DAC II throughout the summer and winter and spring. No more RV parks. People grin, say "Oh I won't, then they do..." Time to stay retired...

[Almot]

Mex, your summer rates split into basic, intermediate, and high - are subsidized.

If DAC threshold in your zone is 800 kwh bimonthly, and you draw (for example) 600 kwh, you'll pay around 600 pesos bimonthly. A whole 15 greenbacks a month.

Now, if somebody in the same 800kwh zone draws 801kwh bimonthly - there are no more subsidized rates 0.6 peso for the first 300kwh, 0.9 peso for the next 100kwh etc - instead you pay DAC rate 4.7-5.0 pesos per each kwh. Big difference. Note that 801kwh bimonthly should be your average consumption FOR A YEAR, before they kick you up to DAC.

DAC threshold zones are assigned based on the average summer temperature, hotter places will have higher threshold, can be as high as 5,000kwh bi-monthly.

Yes, Kino is drier. That's why I asked.

[Naio]

Side notes:

If a storm hits the cienega (swamp)

Oh, so that's what it means! A Spanish friend, visiting LA, was very surprised to see a major street called La Cienega. In his country, it means sewer.

Sure is weird to see fog with an air temp of 82F at 2AM

I was amazed by that too, again in LA. Who knew there could be warm fog?!

I also found the refrigeration info in this thread interesting and informative :B

[MEXICOWANDERER]

We use the 150 kWh bi-monthly rate Nov - May then 450 kWh bi-monthly basic rate May-Nov. This does not include the intermediate 150 kWh bi-monthly rate, which is about 25% higher than the basic rate. Haven't been in DAC for a long time and I don't plan to tease with it. Data Alto Consumo. Have to make do with 600 kWh bi monthly or 300 kWh monthly. Look at your power bill in the USA then tell me how you would fare with humidity never lower than 70% and temperatures never lower than 78F. Kino Bay has higher temperatures than here but significantly lower humidity.

My Vestfrost refrigerator uses 45 amp hours per day at 24vdc. A General Electric 4cf brand new apartment refrigerator used MORE kWh than my Viking. The kids could not believe it. Lack of insulation demanded outrageously oversizing of the cooling unit and they (4) NEVER EVER shut off. The kitchens were hotter than hell. I sold all four for 30% of what I paid for them and replaced them with four SAMSUNG 12 CF refrigerators and the bi-monthly bill went down. Hotel guests made less noise about food spoilage and the School of Hard Knocks struck again.

[Almot]

Mex, - the opposite to big fridge is a small fridge, - not necessarily old and/or inefficient one. Inverter fridge is the way to go.

There seems to be a confusion there. CFE regional tariff zones are based on average bimonthly consumption, and the worst/lowest residential limit is 500 kwh - for 2 months. 400kwh bimonthly is something new. Anyway, most areas enjoy the limit 800kwh bimonthly or higher. Your bi-monthly average is calculated by dividing 12 months consumption by 6. Your bi-monthly average is not revised every 2 months. If your average exceeds the limit, you lose subsidy and jump into higher rate FOR A YEAR. On top of that, there are "first 100 kwh a month" that cost less, then the next 200 cost more, and the rest - more yet.
It's complicated, indeed. From official horse mouth: CFE tariff zones - scroll down to the table.

Q. to Moisheh: How much BTU in summer you found to be sufficient with your mini-split? I presume there is a tin roof "sombra" over your bus in Kino.

[Talleyho69]

I was just sent this link that has the exact information. Thanks!

https://blog.galt.mx/tipos-de-tarifas-de-cfe-tanto-conoces-lo-que-te-cobran-de-luz

[Talleyho69]

We are allowed 800 kwh per billing period, 2 months for 3 cycles a year. Yes, really. We have checked and it's true. Maybe we live in a sweet spot. The first two levels are about 1 peso per kwh, once we top that, it's basically 4 pesos for all usage. I thought the basic rate levels were the same nation wide. Guess I'm wrong.

Are inverter technology freezers available in Lazaro? We now have that technology for our refrigerators, microwave ovens, AC units and washer. It makes a huge difference in electricity consumption. They cost a little more, but more than pay for themselves in no time.

Our Maytag dryer in February cost us under 7,000 p delivered. Might be worth a trip next time you need appliances.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I found out the hard way apartment size refrigerators consume as much power as a good quality 18 cubic foot refrigerator freezer. The big ones shut off half the time the junky little ones are on 24/7/365

By the way. DAC results from cumulative bi-monthly billing in exce. usage. Yes 400 kWh is allowed FOR TWO MONTHS TOTAL ACCUMULATION. 150 kWh per month is a 300 kWh bi-monthly bill. We're allowed 350 kWh for both basic and intermediate combined. Excedente triples the cost per kWh and over a period of months the excedente can reach the point of triggering DAC even higher rate and the lower cost basic and intermediate disappears -- it's full DAC for every kWh. Then they slap 16% IVA tax in that. It takes months to erase DAC. A person may use 100 kWh the following 2 months and it appears a the 100% DAC rate.

No one in their right mind would have a 30 amp electric clothes drier down here. Gas is the only way to go and a good new Maytag is a twelve thousand peso expense. A 45 Kg cylinder of gas lasts about 15 hours of clothes drying and costs 907 pesos and an 82 mile round trip to Guacamayas.

We must operate 3 six foot wide Torrey freezers to hold Jesus' huachinango and lobster. These are the energy eaters. They are shaded and I have computer muffin fans helping cool their condensers. The cooperativa had to help us argue with CFE to get a commercial rate. A separate mufa (drop pole) and 60 amp service.

We average in the winter about 15 hours of outages per month. If a storm hits the cienega (swamp) between Alcalpican and La Colorada is sure to drop a pole or two and the outage can last 3-5 days or longer if the storm is big.

Then the Kubota comes online. Feeds the freezers and my giant Viking refrigerator which uses less wattage than the 18 CF Samsung it replaced. With four dollar a gallon diesel. .82 gallons per hour adds up fast.

Sure is weird to see fog with an air temp of 82F at 2AM

Like today -- 92F and 84% R/H
Hurricanes push a large bubble of very warm air ahead of them.