Edesur dismantles more than 70 illegal connections in Pedernales

After exhausting technical procedures and the corresponding dialogue channels, Edesur Dominicana suspended service to users in Valle de Juancho, Pedernales, who maintained about 70 illegal connections, sabotaged the metering system, and even operated with clandestine transformers to pump agricultural properties.

Irregular connections of transformers to Edesur’s networks have generated multiple breakdowns and failures in the JUCO101 circuit, compromising operational safety and endangering the integrity of the population of the border municipality. A total of 5,362 customers receive electricity service from that circuit.

The supply suspension was carried out last Thursday when users presented nine overdue invoices and an outstanding amount of RD$771,783.27.

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Edesur identified around 70 illegal connections, including pumps, illegal connections and clandestine transformers that generated a high unmeasured, unbilled and technically risky consumption.

In February of this year, the distributor detected that the landowners of Valle de Juancho were directly connected, only billing an amount of RD$786.00 for a fixed charge, without registering or billing the actual consumption of the energy consumed.

After discovering those anomalies, Edesur Dominicana normalized the electrical service and last March issued a report of irregularity for 518,463 kWh, equivalent to a billed amount of RD$4,733,570.64 and RD$412,708.19, in arrears.
Once the measurement was regularized, the invoices began to reflect the actual consumption but the users did not maintain regularity in payments.

In addition, the distributor confirmed the deliberate destruction of measuring equipment (sabotage); the main meter and the meters of the pumping stations were broken and some disappeared.

In addition to the accumulated debt situation and the sabotage of metering equipment and other crimes sanctioned by the General Electricity Law, the fact that the landowners have repeatedly threatened and assaulted Edesur’s technical staff is added, preventing them from carrying out suspensions, reconnections and other works, on occasion, putting their physical integrity at risk and preventing the execution of necessary corrective actions.

The most recent episode was recorded last October when Edesur staff had to withdraw without completing their work, and on several occasions armed men have held the company’s technicians against their will, so the distributor has been forced to resort to the public force.

The dismantling of illegal connections seeks, in addition to normalizing customer service, to protect the network and improve the continuity of supply.
Edesur reaffirms that these actions, within the fight against electrical fraud, are part of its commitment to offer a safe, transparent and quality service. It urges citizens to continue collaborating with regularizations and to report irregularities as a way to continue reducing losses.