Vice President Raquel Peña addresses the increase in electricity bills amid heat wave
During a recent speech at an event held in Santo Domingo, the Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, addressed citizens’ concerns regarding the increase in electricity billing amounts. The moment was marked by a particular anecdote, when a power outage briefly interrupted her presentation.
Oh, the power went out.
Raquel Peña, Vice President of the Republic
Given this scenario, the official emphasized that the increases reflected in users’ bills are not due to changes in the rate, but rather to higher energy consumption. As she explained, the high temperatures affecting the country have forced both households and businesses to intensify the use of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment.
Determining factors in electricity consumption
According to the information provided by the Electricity Distribution Companies (Edeeste, Edenorte, and Edesur), the increase in the final amounts is due to the following key points:
- The sustained increase in energy demand due to intense heat.
- The scaling of users to higher tariff blocks due to the higher volume of kilowatts consumed.
- The need for more efficient and rational management of the electrical service by the population.
The vice president called on citizens to practice responsible consumption, while suggesting that both users and regulatory entities should maintain a constant analysis of consumption behavior to avoid surprises in billing.
Historical record in energy demand
Technical data support the authorities’ position. As of July 30, 2026, the national electricity system recorded a peak demand of 4,330.80 megawatts (MW). This figure marks a historic milestone, exceeding by 407.8 MW the previous record of 3,923 MW reached in August 2025.
This 10.4% increase in demand, compared to the previous year, confirms that the intensive use of air conditioning and refrigeration systems is the main driver behind the increase in electricity consumption that Dominicans are currently experiencing.
