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She rents a small $100/mo room. At her last small room, the landlord charged her 2000 riel/kwh. Then she moves across town. New room. New landlord also charges her 2000 riel/kwh. I keep telling her this is too high. Tell her to ask her Khmer friends and co-workers what they pay. She says they pay the same. I'm the dumb foreigner for thinking she should be paying 720-1200 riel.

Is it common for landlords to try to charge everyone 2000riel/kwh, and people who are naive and do not negotiate just pay that? Do Khmers in small rooms pay more than foreigners?

No, she is not lying to me to get me to send more money. I think she is just naive.

You are right that's a common scam. The landlord is pocketing the difference.

I wouldn't call it a scam though.

Landlords seem to be very up front about the rate. The $60 a month place a had for a while charged me about 1500 a kilowatt, and dropped it down to about 1000 when I told them I was getting aircon.

General Mackevili wrote: ↑Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:52 am I wouldn't call it a scam though.

Landlords seem to be very up front about the rate.

What legitimate reason is there for charging double price? Don't think the girlfriend lives in a condo with high maintenance costs and electricity in shared areas to cover.

fax wrote:

General Mackevili wrote: ↑Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:52 am I wouldn't call it a scam though.

Landlords seem to be very up front about the rate.

What legitimate reason is there for charging double price? Don't think the girlfriend lives in a condo with high maintenance costs and electricity in shared areas to cover.

Profit?

PhnomRon wrote: ↑Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:33 am Is it common for landlords to try to charge everyone 2000riel/kwh, and people who are naive and do not negotiate just pay that? Do Khmers in small rooms pay more than foreigners?

Yes, This seems to happen quite a lot to locals, especially the ones in the small $100 rooms. I don't know why they are not asking for the EDC rate or at least close, perhaps there is enough demand for the flats?

I surprises me how much some landlords charge for water too

General Mackevili wrote: ↑Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:57 am Profit?

Exactly, it's an unpredictable mysterious way to inflate rent cost. The tenant is at the mercy of the landlord who has free power to wire things in a dodgy manner to increase the profit. The money isn't for electricity. It's to fill the landlord's pocket. How is that not a scam?

fax wrote: ↑Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:55 am

General Mackevili wrote: ↑Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:52 am I wouldn't call it a scam though.

Landlords seem to be very up front about the rate.

What legitimate reason is there for charging double price? Don't think the girlfriend lives in a condo with high maintenance costs and electricity in shared areas to cover.

Installing additional meters and additional wiring. Total price of those about 40k riels per room though, so in the end it's just an illegal way to make an extra profit.

for the record, the official EDC rate in PP is now 750R/Kwh. Recently reduced from 770R.

timmydownawell wrote: ↑Tue Jun 05, 2018 10:03 am for the record, the official EDC rate in PP is now 750R/Kwh. Recently reduced from 770R.

I haven't had May/June yet but my last one was 720. Does it depend what district/commune you are in?