Reading your electric meter in Cancun Mexico

Note that the dials don't all go clockwise. If a pointer is between two numbers, write down the lower of the two numbers except when it is between 0 and 9. In that case, take the 9. If a pointer is almost directly on a number, look to the next dial on the right and see if it has just passed 0. If so then take the number.

Reading from left to right, the above numbers are 02096. That gauge in the middle is a tricky one because it is almost on the 1, but the gauge to the immediate right shows that it has not passed 0... it is between 9 and 0.

Click here to go to the Cancun Electric Bill Forecaster

How much will your electric bill be?

My friends in Cancun pay anywhere from USD $20 a month to $200 a month depending particularly on how much they use their air conditioners. So.. the REAL answer is more technical...

In 2006 electricity was selling for 2 pesos per kWh (kilowatt hour). That is about 18 cents U.S. So... here is how to calculate things: a coffee pot for example is marked 1,000 W on the sticker or 1kW. That means if you left it on for exactly 1 hour it would eat up 1,000 Watts and would cost 18 cents to operate.

A window air conditioner running constantly on Hi/Cool probably uses 1,700 W. Now we know that it will cycle on and off once the room becomes cool, so let's say it will use an average of 1,200 W which is 1.2kW. Running it for 8 hours will cost 1.2 x .18 cents x 8 hours = $1.73

A further example... a window fan uses 80W. That works out to 0.08kW (move the decimal place to the left 3 times). So running it for 8 hours costs 0.08 x .18 cents x 8 hours = $0.12 or 12 cents.

One of the those new spiral type light bulbs uses 15W. Leaving it on for 12 hours would cost... 0.015 x .18 cents x 12 hours = less than 3 cents.

For those REALLY on a budget, if you keep your electric bill under 800kWh in an 8 month period you will get a major reduced rate on the first 330kWh or so. That's why your Mexican neighbor is paying 20 bucks electric for 2 months and you are paying $300.

Bottom line? Take it easy on things that eat up electricity like coffee pots, air conditioners, and God forbid... an electric clothes dryer.