Deal with CFE Problems in Puerto Vallarta

Electricity in Mexico operates on the 60-cycle, 120-volt system as in the United States and Canada. In some cases, old outlets have not been updated to accommodate three-prong and polarized plugs that can quickly solve with an adapter. Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) is the Mexican state-owned electricity utility.

The Mexican constitution states that the government is responsible for developing and supplying the national electric industry.

Current energetic sector in Mexico

In 2013 Mexican Congress approved an energetic reform to move from a centralized energy sector controlled by parastatal companies to a more competitive industry, with possibilities of being more modern and efficient, enabling society to benefit by opening to private participation. 

However, the current Federal government disagrees with this reform and sent Congress a draft law to reverse it. 

Nevertheless, this government is taking action to improve the sector; last February, CFE releases its 2021-2025 business plan, which includes an investment of 19 billion pesos for the construction of 13 power generation plants and the development and maintenance of distribution and transmission infrastructure.

How does electricity rates work along with the country?

There are seven rates for power that have been established since some country regions are hotter than others.

 Puerto Vallarta rate is 1B.

Electricity service in Mexico is divided into three different increments to make the service affordable for the population. 

1) Basic rate. The first 250 kilowatt-hours (KWh), at a rate around 50 cents;

2) Intermediate. The next 150kWh, at a rate around 90 cents;

3) Excessive. Over that fit 400kWh, at a rate around 2 pesos per kWh

CFE Contract

Suppose you buy a property in Puerto Vallarta. In that case, you will need to get an electricity contract or change the previous one in the property under your name.

CFE office is in downtown, Colombia street number 1118, between Uruguay and Panama street.

You must show your passport and proof of your address, which can be a recent (no more than three months) telephone bill or the property deed.

A contract fee is required as a warranty.  The amount is in the range of $174.00- 521.00 Mexican pesos and will appear in your first bill. Make sure that the contract is for residential use instead of business.

Suppose the property already has a previous owner contract, with the same documents you can submit for changing the contract on your behalf. Then, an employee from CFE, will go to the property to change the meter or read it to start billing on your account.

Bill Structure

CFE bill serves as a form to confirm your address for government agencies, cable services, banks, etc.

Bills are issued every two months, and due is generally within 15 days, is essential to pay on time to avoid suspension of service, which can become a problem that takes days for service reconnection.

There are many options to make easy payments, such as auto-tellers in the main office at Colombia street or in Madero Street in old Vallarta; before the next to days to the due date at Oxxo stores with a 5.00 pesos fee; or the easiest way is through the free APP CFE, that is available at Appstore.  

The APP is an easy and secure way to avoid situations without getting the power bill on time, which can happen. Also, you can pay at the auto-tellers with a previous statement through the bar-code scanner to show the current amount you need to pay.

To calculate the total amount of kWh used in a period in the electricity bill, you can review the “Lectura anterior” (initial reading) and subtract it from the “Lectura Actual” (actual reading), then multiply the kWh used by the price in pesos.

The CFE has been designing strategies and increasing its budget to improve electricity services during the last decade. Blackouts usually only happen due to meteorological phenomena like hurricanes or tropical storms.

What to do in case of a CFE problem

071 is the CFE customer care number available 24 hours a day. 

It is an automated answering service with a menu of options in Spanish, that includes options regarding contract requirements, centers of payments, and report supply failure. They have bilingual staff, just dial any menu option, and ask for an English spoken operator.

They usually attend to the problem quickly. For example, when a problem occurs in a neighborhood, the company sends you a text message to your cell phone to let you know the company is aware of the problem and is working on it. Usually, CFE solves issues in a few hours.

If a CFE interruption of energy causes damage to your supplies, you can also submit a complaint. CFE will pay the equipment or the repairs costs.

Tips to reduce energy consumption

Replacing regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs;

Paint your home exterior in a light color;

Use AC only when it is indispensable, and fans don’t help;

Use blackout curtains and keep them closed during the hottest hours of the day to block direct sunlight;

Open windows at night;

Keep the refrigerator away from the stove. 

AC, coffee pots, refrigerators, and electric clothes driers are the most energy-consuming appliances at home.

Also is important to consider the benefits of installing solar panels and AC with saving energy technology.

If you have electrical equipment damage We recommend to read this article: Click Here