Costa Rica News – The cost of living in Costa Rica is about to increase a little more over the next months. At least they were nice enough to wait right before high season, I am sure this is just a coincidence, yeah right. Considering it ends June 30th of next year right after high season ends.
The Costa Rican government sees people making money or potentially making money as a reason to nickel and dime them for as much as they can.
Households whose electric service is ICE must adjust their budget to pay 4.5% more over the next seven months.
The increase granted by the Regulatory Authority for Public Services (Aresep) represent some additional ¢ 600 for a family with an average consumption of 200 kilowatt hours (kWh). Most households are much more than this.
For that case, the monthly bill will increase from ¢ 14,400 to ¢ 15,000.
In addition, generation rates will be up 7.6% (this will affect the rates of other distributors and cooperatives) and street lighting about 3.8%.
The approved adjustment is less than that claimed by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), 26% for electricity generation, distribution and 14.43% at 12.4% in street lighting. Who believes these numbers?
With this increase ICE seeks to recognize the additional costs for purchases of fuels and lubricants for generation in the first half of this year.
The new rates will come into effect after its publication in the Official Gazette and are valid until June 30 next year.
