Electricity Billing Complaints Dominate Claims in Dominican Republic

Electricity billing continues to generate the largest number of consumer complaints in the Dominican Republic, with unusually high bills accounting for 96% of claims submitted to the Office for the Protection of Electricity Consumers, known as Protecom, during the first half of 2026.

The highest volume has been recorded at Edeeste, the electricity distributor serving much of eastern Santo Domingo and other areas in the country’s eastern region. Edesur ranks second in complaints, followed by Edenorte, according to data published by Protecom.

Nearly 30,000 Complaints in Six Months

Protecom received 29,833 consumer complaints during the first six months of 2026 and issued 52,255 decisions. Of those decisions, 17,466 were resolved in favor of users, according to the agency’s statistics.

The quarterly figures show how complaints are distributed among the three main electricity distributors. Between January and March, Protecom received 14,791 claims, including 8,310 decisions in favor of consumers. Edeeste accounted for 6,498 complaints, compared with 5,613 for Edesur and 2,655 for Edenorte.

During the second quarter, from April through June, the agency recorded another 15,042 complaints. A total of 9,156 decisions favored users. Edeeste registered 7,283 complaints, while Edesur recorded 4,947 and Edenorte 2,800.

Edeeste Has the Highest Complaint Volume

The concentration of complaints in Edeeste is particularly notable in the Greater Santo Domingo and Eastern Zone, two densely populated areas. In Edesur’s service territory, the largest number of complaints comes from Greater Santo Domingo and San Cristóbal.

Edenorte has recorded fewer complaints than the other two distributors in the available figures, although significant concerns have emerged in Higüey, in the eastern Dominican Republic. The data do not by themselves establish that one distributor is more efficient than another, but they show substantial differences in the number of complaints received across service areas.

The electricity distributors have attributed higher bills in part to increased consumption during periods of intense heat. Higher temperatures can lead households to use air conditioners, fans and other cooling equipment more frequently, increasing electricity demand.

What Consumers Can Challenge

Protecom recognizes 37 grounds for filing an electricity complaint. High billing, defined as consumption above a customer’s regular average, is the first category.

Other grounds include defective meters, calculation errors, unusually low bills, changes to contracted tariffs, unilateral tariff changes, incorrect reconnection charges and electricity cuts when the customer has no outstanding debt. Consumers can also file claims involving unrecognized debts, incorrect power-factor charges, pricing errors, outages, voltage problems and estimated billing.

Complaints involving damaged household appliances are another concern, particularly when users attribute the damage to high voltage. Protecom has a mechanism for such claims, although the distributors maintain records of the amounts reimbursed to affected customers.

Meter Replacements Raise Additional Concerns

Some consumers have also questioned the replacement of electricity meters when the wiring connecting distribution poles to homes has not been upgraded at the same time. Previous complaints have focused on the type and condition of distribution wiring and concerns that voltage problems can damage household appliances.

Users have also reported that changes involving meters have coincided with higher electricity bills. However, the available figures establish the volume and outcome of complaints but do not independently determine the cause of individual increases in billing.

The number of favorable decisions recorded by Protecom in 2026 is also drawing attention. The agency issued roughly 80,000 decisions in favor of users during all of 2025, while more than 52,000 decisions were issued during the first half of this year. The figures indicate a sustained level of activity in the consumer dispute system as electricity billing remains a major source of concern for households.

For residents facing an unexpectedly high bill, the range of grounds recognized by Protecom means that billing disputes can involve more than consumption alone. Meter performance, calculations, tariffs, estimated readings, voltage conditions and other service issues can also form the basis of a complaint.