EDEs have become a constant headache for thousands of Dominicans, with electricity bills that do not match actual consumption. From RD$42 to RD$9,437 in a single month, or charges of RD$12,000 for empty apartments: these cases, documented in independent investigations, expose systemic failures in Edesur, Edenorte, and Edeeste.
Inflated bills without consumption
José Hoepelman, an Edesur customer, paid RD$42 for zero kWh in February. In May, a bill for RD$9,437 arrived for 711 kWh, despite his smart meter showing only 13 kWh. Videos and readings confirm the discrepancy, but the company declared the claim unfounded in August 2025. This headache repeats itself: processes that drag on for months and are resolved in favor of the distributors.
Closed apartments and million-dollar debts
In La Vega, Carolina González faces Edenorte bills that jump from RD$400 to RD$12,000 in an apartment used sporadically. Her debt exceeds RD$40,000. After three years at PROTECOM, she was proven right, but only after paying advance payments. Inspections rule out energy theft, leaving the headache unexplained: where do these consumptions come from?
The pattern in Edeeste: charging without service
In Edeeste, a user contracted service in 2022, but bills of RD$30,000 per month accumulated to RD$150,000 in debt. They demanded partial payments to file a claim, cut off the service, and kept charging. Gricel de los Santos signed a contract in 2021 without installation: even so, she accumulated RD$94,777. PROTECOM eliminated old charges, but the system generated new ones. Cases like Diomeilin Ferrera (RD$30,900) and Jean Lineiris Reyes (14 bills of RD$9,000-RD$12,000) confirm the pattern.
Context and official data
The Superintendency of Electricity (SIE) reports thousands of annual complaints for erroneous billing. In 2024, non-technical distribution losses reached 25%, according to reports from the National Council of Business Reform, worsening the headache for users. Experts point to failures in remote readings and estimation algorithms, common since the regionalization of CDE in 2000. PROTECOM resolves only 30% in favor of clients, prioritizing prior payments.
- Edesur: discrepancies in smart meters.
- Edenorte: charges on vacant properties.
- Edeeste: bills without physical connection.
This headache with the Edes erodes trust in the Dominican electrical service, where users pay for an opaque system that prioritizes collections over accurate verification.
