Is the electricity reliable in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico? Are there blackouts or brownouts in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?

Electricity in Chapala and Ajijic is 80% reliable. The time you have to worry about the most is during the rainy season, which is the summer. During July and August, it rains heavily for about an hour or two during each day. On average, a power outage happens for an hour or two every two weeks during the rainy season but in general, electricity is pretty stable if it’s not during the rainy season. 

 

Many developing countries do not have a great...

Electricity in Chapala and Ajijic is 80% reliable. The time you have to worry about the most is during the rainy season, which is the summer. During July and August, it rains heavily for about an hour or two during each day. On average, a power outage happens for an hour or two every two weeks during the rainy season but in general, electricity is pretty stable if it’s not during the rainy season. 

 

Many developing countries do not have a great deal of long-term vision when they set up the construction of their infrastructure. For example, in the city of Guadalajara, there is so much new construction and even here, we they are building some high-rise buildings, that there is not sufficient infrastructure in place beforehand.

 

Some people just get construction deals without putting up the fiber optic networks, for example. I highly doubt that the area where I am and within half a mile radius will have fiber optic wiring any time soon. Meanwhile, I make up for it in other ways. I just got a really nice Apple computer, which is very fast that even though the Internet may be slow, my computer is fast. I have back up batteries that last up to 4 hours so in case the electricity goes off for a couple of hours, I am set. I have noticed, however, that the reliability of electricity in the Chapala and Ajijic areas have improved. 

 

If it’s not the rainy season, the electricity might go out only once every 2 months. Electricity may also go out when somebody accidentally hits a light pole, a transformer burns, or something like that. If the transformer goes then you might go half a day to one full day without electricity. But I have only seen that happen once in the three years that I’ve been here.  

The reliability of electricity in Chapala and Ajijic depends on the area where you live. Some areas in Chapala and Ajijic are new developments and gated communities and I refer to some of them as very well constructed and they’re my favorite places to live and are located in west Ajijic.

 

We have different neighborhoods where you have ups and downs in electrical current but that doesn’t mean that your devices will be damaged. You just need to...

The reliability of electricity in Chapala and Ajijic depends on the area where you live. Some areas in Chapala and Ajijic are new developments and gated communities and I refer to some of them as very well constructed and they’re my favorite places to live and are located in west Ajijic.

 

We have different neighborhoods where you have ups and downs in electrical current but that doesn’t mean that your devices will be damaged. You just need to have a surge suppressor. I have a surge suppressor for my TV and for my refrigerator but I don’t use it for other appliances in my house. My microwave oven, washing machine, and dryer do not have surge suppressors.

 

The people who come in for maintenance on my appliances told me that these appliances that don’t have surge suppressors need more maintenance because the electricity is unstable in this area. If you buy a house in a gated community, since the whole community is newly-constructed, they do have a stable electric supply. That is also one of their selling points. These developments have transformers from the Comision Federal de Electricidad (Federal Electricity Commission) and these transformers protect the whole area of the developments so they do not have power surges. These transformers are not something that the developers buy but they are installed by the electrical company in order to accommodate all the houses that will be built in the community. If you live in an old house, you need to really check that the electric installation is good in order to have a stable power supply.

 

I have been living in my house here in San Antonio Tlayacapan, which is a suburb of Ajijic, for two years and I don’t remember ever using a candle. We don’t have a lot of blackouts in this little town because this is an independent neighborhood. But if you go to the western part of Ajijic, some areas there do have better electric systems because of the gated developments that are built there, but overall, I haven’t heard complaints about the electricity here in Ajijic.  

 

(Home in a  gated community overlooking Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)

We sometimes experience blackouts in Chapala and Ajijic during the rainy season but it’s not that bad. It used to be bad because of fallen trees but nowadays, the electric company prepares for these things in advance so that even before the rainy season comes they start cutting down branches that are near electric cables. That has lessened the occurrence of blackouts year by year.

 

There are times when we do get blackouts when there is something that...

We sometimes experience blackouts in Chapala and Ajijic during the rainy season but it’s not that bad. It used to be bad because of fallen trees but nowadays, the electric company prepares for these things in advance so that even before the rainy season comes they start cutting down branches that are near electric cables. That has lessened the occurrence of blackouts year by year.

 

There are times when we do get blackouts when there is something that they have to fix but it doesn’t last very long. We live in La Floresta, which is near Wal-Mart here in Ajijic. We have a backup generator because when we came to Ajijic, blackouts were a common occurrence. However, the reliability of electricity in Chapala and Ajijic has improved so much that we have only used our generator a maximum of three times over the period of 4 years that we have been here in Ajijic.

 

(Yard in La Floresta, Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)

We occasionally have blackouts and brownouts in Chapala and Ajijic but it has gotten better. Years ago, you could expect one brownout every day but now the electricity is more reliable.  On rare occasions we get blackouts but it doesn’t happen that often anymore. We don’t expect even one blackout in a typical month. The last time it happened would be about 6 months ago and it lasted for only an hour or two. These issues are not a big deal any more in Chapala and...

We occasionally have blackouts and brownouts in Chapala and Ajijic but it has gotten better. Years ago, you could expect one brownout every day but now the electricity is more reliable.  On rare occasions we get blackouts but it doesn’t happen that often anymore. We don’t expect even one blackout in a typical month. The last time it happened would be about 6 months ago and it lasted for only an hour or two. These issues are not a big deal any more in Chapala and Ajijic.

 

(House in Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)

There are a lot fewer blackouts and brownouts than there used to be. It used to be a significant problem but CFE, which is the national electric company, has had major improvements in terms of service.

 

How often you experience a blackout or brownout depends on where you live. Some areas have more problems with blackouts and brownouts than others, but it’s nowhere near the problem it used to be.  For example, I live on a mountain in San Antonio,...

There are a lot fewer blackouts and brownouts than there used to be. It used to be a significant problem but CFE, which is the national electric company, has had major improvements in terms of service.

 

How often you experience a blackout or brownout depends on where you live. Some areas have more problems with blackouts and brownouts than others, but it’s nowhere near the problem it used to be.  For example, I live on a mountain in San Antonio, above the golf course, probably a mile to a mile and a half from the center of Ajijic.  In the last year, we’ve had zero blackouts and just three brownouts.

 

We don’t have a back-up generator because it’s just not important.  

 

(Pictured: gated adult community in Ajijic, Mexico.)

No, there are no blackouts or brownouts in Chapala and Ajijic. The electricity here is perfect. We might have a blackout if there is a storm but even that usually only lasts for about 10 minutes. For example, recently, we had a storm here and we had a blackout for about 10 minutes. It was immediately restored.

 

The rainy season is June to October and that’s usually when we get blackouts as affected by the storms. Under normal circumstances, we...

No, there are no blackouts or brownouts in Chapala and Ajijic. The electricity here is perfect. We might have a blackout if there is a storm but even that usually only lasts for about 10 minutes. For example, recently, we had a storm here and we had a blackout for about 10 minutes. It was immediately restored.

 

The rainy season is June to October and that’s usually when we get blackouts as affected by the storms. Under normal circumstances, we don’t experience blackouts at all.

 

(Colorful boats on Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)

Yes, electricity is definitely reliable in Chapala and Ajijic. We haven’t had a blackout in the last 3 months.

 

When it is raining too hard, sometimes we experience blackouts but we haven’t experienced that in our office. When we have blackouts it usually lasts for 24 hours because the power company needs to come over and fix the problem. If the blackout out happens at night, then we have to wait until the next day for them to come and fix it....

Yes, electricity is definitely reliable in Chapala and Ajijic. We haven’t had a blackout in the last 3 months.

 

When it is raining too hard, sometimes we experience blackouts but we haven’t experienced that in our office. When we have blackouts it usually lasts for 24 hours because the power company needs to come over and fix the problem. If the blackout out happens at night, then we have to wait until the next day for them to come and fix it. If is happens on a non-working day then unfortunately you have to hire an electrician to fix it for you if the damage is in your house. If the problem is in your house, normally the electric company still comes to check to see if it is their obligation and if they find out that they are not responsible for it, they will let you know. In this case, you would need to call a private electrician to fix the problem for you.

 

We don’t have generators in our house. However, some big houses here do have generators because they have big gardens, alarm systems, security systems, and several computers. In my case, my house is small so I don’t need a generator.  

 

(A casita kitchen, Ajijic, Mexico, pictured.)

The electricity in Ajijic and the Chapala area in general has spikes and surges. It does not affect my business because I have surge suppressors for my electronic equipment, but if you do not have that kind of protection, it can damage your equipment, for example, your computers, printers, or your refrigerator. The blackouts occur because the government has no control over the amount of electricity that is sent through the cable, which can damage your equipment, because the electrical...

The electricity in Ajijic and the Chapala area in general has spikes and surges. It does not affect my business because I have surge suppressors for my electronic equipment, but if you do not have that kind of protection, it can damage your equipment, for example, your computers, printers, or your refrigerator. The blackouts occur because the government has no control over the amount of electricity that is sent through the cable, which can damage your equipment, because the electrical current is not consistent. 

 

The electricity hardly ever just goes out in Ajijic- it is reliable. I’ve been in this office for 5 years, and we only went without electricity once, which lasted for an entire day. We don’t have a backup generator, so it was terrible, but it was also unusual.  

 

(Street with electric wires, Ajijic, Mexico, pictured.)

Unless you live in a housing development that has underground utilities, there are blackouts and brownouts in the Chapala – Ajijic area. But if the transformer is maybe 100 meters and there’s a problem, regardless of where you live, you will be without electricity. Usually, if there’s a lot of wind and it’s raining, we have problems with electricity. 

 

In the rainy season, the power may go out perhaps once a month.  In the...

Unless you live in a housing development that has underground utilities, there are blackouts and brownouts in the Chapala – Ajijic area. But if the transformer is maybe 100 meters and there’s a problem, regardless of where you live, you will be without electricity. Usually, if there’s a lot of wind and it’s raining, we have problems with electricity. 

 

In the rainy season, the power may go out perhaps once a month.  In the dry season, it may not go off at all.  Overall, the power may go out 3 to 5 times a year, with the maximum outage about one hour.

 

I don’t have a generator at my house because it’s just not necessary.  If the power goes out, we just wait for it to come back on.  It’s not a huge disruption to business unless the transformer explodes, but that usually doesn’t happen. This year until today I haven’t remembered being more than an hour without light, not even a day.

 

(Larry Laframboise and Lev hiking along the rainy season streams in Ajijic, Mexico, pictured.)

The electricity in Chapala and Ajijic is generally reliable, depending on the area where you live. The areas that have the most expats are generally the ones that have the most reliable electrical service. Expats care about these things, and they ask for their rights. 

 

I live in Chula Vista, and each time something happens with our electricity, I know that I can go and tell the board, and they will do something to fix the problem. I used to be a...

The electricity in Chapala and Ajijic is generally reliable, depending on the area where you live. The areas that have the most expats are generally the ones that have the most reliable electrical service. Expats care about these things, and they ask for their rights. 

 

I live in Chula Vista, and each time something happens with our electricity, I know that I can go and tell the board, and they will do something to fix the problem. I used to be a member of the board, so when people would call us to report a problem, we would answer and act on it.

 

In Chula Vista, the electricity sometimes goes out, but only when it’s raining, which happens for 2-3 months in a year. In the rainy season, it is possible to lose power in Chula Vista up to twice a week, which may last for 1-10 hours, depending on the number of households that have called the board to have it fixed. They usually promise to address the problem within not more than 10 hours, and usually, their response is quicker than that. A generator in my home is not necessary, so I don’t have one.

 

(Home in Chula Vista, Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)

Blackouts and brownouts happen in Chapala and Ajijic, but not with the frequency that it used to and not with enough regularity to be a nuisance. Some neighborhoods are worse than others. I’ve lived in Riberas del Pilar for a year now, and the only time I lost power was for 2 days during a particularly bad rainstorm.

 

You don’t need a backup generator in your house. Electricity generally works in Chapala and Ajijic. Electricity problems...

Blackouts and brownouts happen in Chapala and Ajijic, but not with the frequency that it used to and not with enough regularity to be a nuisance. Some neighborhoods are worse than others. I’ve lived in Riberas del Pilar for a year now, and the only time I lost power was for 2 days during a particularly bad rainstorm.

 

You don’t need a backup generator in your house. Electricity generally works in Chapala and Ajijic. Electricity problems don’t happen often enough to be on the list of things to be concerned about whilst living here.