I have been in Ecuador full time for 11 years now and have experienced the many different ways of calculating the actual utility you use in your home or condo. If you live lets say outside of a larger city like Manta then you are at the mercy of the local board, (which is usually one person). If your “North American” name shows up then you will usually get a higher price than an Ecuadorian.
I have actually seen this in several Puerto Villages and other small communities. Now in larger towns like Manta the utility company is held to a more strict version of accounting. However that does not mean that you are getting the same price as the utility company is charging you. In many condo buildings the entire building is charged by the amount of water delivered there.
The more the water, the higher the percentage charge. Also the administration of the building tends to add on a percentage more than they are charged to make up costs or over charges. In one building that I formally lived in they were overwhelming charged more money than what the building paid to the local company. Of course there is a large group of North Americans there and when I asked the administrator why, he had no answer. In fact he was amazed that i knew the building cost.
So my friends do yourself a favor, check your local utility company for the building cost and have a serious chat with the building administrator. Hey also… if you have not changed the name on the utility bill yet… then don’t. Let it stay right where it is at… There is no penalty to do so. However please always pay your bill.
Regards,
Richard Parker
