Did you cancel/suspend your utilities after the earthquake?

Following the April 16th earthquake, basic services in Bahia may not make sense for many condo owners as many have been slated as inhabitable for at least the next year. In the meantime, without taking action, clients will continue to be charged for the service to some degree, regardless if you can use it or not.

In the case of electricity, this may mean you pay the very basic fee which includes public street lighting and a contribution to the fire department around $4-$6. However, since the electricity company is notoriously unreliable it's possible that because of human error this basic fee may increase and it will be difficult to fight extra fees from abroad. To cancel the electricity meter you must writing a letter requesting to cancel the service, be up to date with payments and provide a sketch or specific description of where your property is located.

For phone lines/internet, the best choice is to suspend or cancel the service because you will be charged the same rate, which if you have internet is high. Suspending the service is valid for a renewable 3 months for internet and 6 months for the phone line. If remembering to renew the suspension seems hard, there's also the option to cancel the service and reconnect when you're ready although there is a reconnection fee. In either case, you need to write a letter to CNT requesting to cancel or suspend your lines. In both cases you must be fully paid up before you can do either.

If you have any further questions regarding this matter you can email us at info@ecuaassist.com.

Thank you!

The EcuaAssist Team