Complaints Form

COMPLAINTS FORM

We can assure you that we give your complaint the necessary attention. You will get an answer from us as soon as possible.

Name:…………………………………………………………………….

Address:……………………………………………………………………..

Tel. no. at home:…………………………………………………………………….

Tel. no. at work: ……………………………………………………………………..

Account number:…………………………………………………………………….

Description of the complaint:……………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………..

You can hand in the form at the PR (Public Relations) Department of Aqualectra Distribution, Pater Euwensweg or fax it to 462-3242 or to one of our branches at St. Rosa, St. Maria or Barber.

For more information, please call us at telephone number 463-2348.

Date:Signature:

…………………………………..……………………………………….

Do not forget to ask for a copy of your form.

FOLDER ON GUIDELINES FOR EXCAVATION WORK

Guidelines for excavation work

Prevention is better than cure …

Excavation work is done for various reasons and by various agencies and persons. It happens regularly that an Aqualectra cable or a pipe is damaged during excavation work. This causes an interruption in the supply of water or electricity to a possibly large number of consumers and leads not only to inconvenience and irritation with the consumers, but also to unnecessary costs of repair on the cable or pipe. It is, therefore, very important that, before starting with the excavation work, you do all that is possible to prevent possible damage to cables or pipes. In this folder we give a description of the guidelines drawn up by Aqualectra Distribution for digging in the vicinity of cables and pipes. We also describe the services that we can offer you when preparing your excavation work.

Before digging …

If you want to do excavation work on government or private land, you will first of all have to obtain the required permits. Subsequently, before digging, you will have to report to the utility companies and government services concerned (Aqualectra Distribution, SETEL, ANTELECOM and D.O.W.) in order to obtain information on possibly existing cables and pipes on the land where you want to dig.

With regard to Aqualectra Distribution, we recommend you to get informed of our official guidelines for digging in the vicinity of cables and pipes which are described in this folder. In these guidelines, there is an extensive description of what Aqualectra Distribution expects of you prior to and during the excavation work. You are responsible for a correct treatment of our cables and pipes, and we count on preventing possible damage to our cables and/or pipes due to good consultation and the necessary cooperation.

What can we offer you …

Aqualectra Distribution possesses detailed drawings of all our distribution cables and pipes. You can ask for the drawings that are necessary for you at a charge. In addition, we can also mark off the course of cables and/or pipes for you. If the cables and/or pipes laid are not found on the spot concerned, we can have our cable experts trace the cables and/or pipes concerned. We can charge you an hourly rate for these activities.

Where can you get information?

For information on your excavation work and to request drawings or other services of Aqualectra Distribution, you can apply to our Department for Registration of Distribution Means, telephone number: 463-2309. This department is in our main office at Pater Euwensweg no. 1. Mind you: the entrance to our main office is not the same entrance as the entrance to our service office, but is next to it.

Application procedure …

You can submit applications for drawings or other services of Aqualectra Distribution personally to the Department for Registration of Distribution Means. This can be done only personally, as you often have to bring along a plan or a projection in order to apply for drawings or services. A staff member of this department will complete a form together with you and then inform you when you can come back to fetch and pay for the drawings applied for. After paying for these drawings at one of the cash points of Aqualecta Distribution at Pater Euwensweg in Otrobanda, you can fetch your drawings at the Department for Registration of Distribution Means. After paying for the services required of Aqualectra Distribution, you can make an appointment with a staff member of the Department for Distribution Means.

Official guidelines of Aqualectra Distribution for digging in the vicinity of cables and pipes

Under all circumstances, the contractor will have to positively detect the cables and pipes in whose vicinity excavation work will be done before starting his own activities. If, after following the instructions described below, the cables and/or pipes cannot be detected, the contractor will have to notify Aqualectra Distribution, after which, in joint consultation, the work will be determined.

In order to establish the correct location of the cables and/or pipes accurately, sufficient test trenches will have to be dug, perpendicularly to the cable and/or pipe course. These trenches must be dug by hand. It is not permitted to use a trench digger to do this work!

After the exact locations of all the cables and/or pipes in the area concerned have been established by digging the test trenches, the use of a trench digger for further excavation work can be permitted, on the understanding that digging within one (1) meter of cables and pipes must be done by hand, and the use of trench diggers within this distance is prohibited under all circumstances.

By “digging by hand” is meant digging with a shovel. For loosening hard layers outside the direct vicinity (approx. 10 cm) of cables and pipes, the use of a pickaxe is permitted. Within the direct vicinity of cables and HDPE pipes (approx. 10cm) and also in places where the cable protection tiles or mats have been removed, a pickaxe may not be used.

Cable and HDPE pipes that have been exposed due to excavation work, must be treated with utmost care. If dug in over a distance of more than one (1) meter, the cables and HDPE pipes have to be supported. In certain cases, for the protection of the cables, a formwork will have to be placed around the cables. Supporting cables and HDPE pipes must be done by placing a beam or pipe over the excavation, to which the cables and HDPE pipes are tied up with interspaces of maximally one (1) meter. All this in consultation with our supervisory personnel.

Mechanical tensions in cables and pipes must be avoided. It is, therefore, absolutely prohibited to have objects resting on cables and pipes, to walk on cables and pipes or to mechanically burden cables and pipes in any other manner.

During the refilling of the excavation, the soil under the cables and HDPE pipes must be sufficiently set and leveled again. If this is done and the soil has been sufficiently leveled up, the supports, as referred to in item 5, can be removed. The cables and pipes must be placed back neatly and without unnecessary crossings.

The area around the cables and pipes must be filled up with clean, white sand without rubble or other sharp objects. If the cables were originally separated and/or covered with cable protection tiles, or mats as the case may be, they must be placed back. Cable tiles lying at the edge of excavations and that sagged due to the digging, must be dug out and placed anew. Broken tiles must be replaced by new ones. After this, the excavation can be filled up again with the original soil.

If, in the case of crossings of cables and pipes, the distance between the cables and pipes is less than 10 cm, a layer of cable protection tiles or mats must be placed between the cables and the pipes.

Main Office and Service Office

* AQUALECTRA DISTRIBUTION Otrobanda

Pater Euwensweg 1

P.O. Box 230

Telephone: 462-3310

Fax: 462-6251

Opening hours information desks: Monday through Friday7:45 – 14:30 hours

Opening hours cash points: Monday through Thursday7:45 – 18:00 hours

Friday7:45 – 19:00 hours

Service Offices

* AQUALECTRA DISTRIBUTION St. Rosa

St. Rosaweg 94 (Paseata Building)

Telephone: 767-8851

Fax: 767-8859

Opening hours: Monday through Friday7:45 – 15:00 hours

* AQUALECTRA DISTRIBUTION St. Maria

Jan Noorduynweg (Shopping Center)

Telephone: 869-3523

Fax: 869- 3512

Opening hours: Monday through Friday7:45 –15:00 hours

* AQUALECTRA DISTRIBUTION Barber

Barber 106

Telephone: 864-1308

Fax: 864-1305

Opening hours:Monday through Friday7:45 – 12:00 hours

and 12:30 – 15:00 hours

Important numbers

Complaints Department: tel. 135 (accessible 24 hours)
Information on your account: tel. 463-2328 or 463-2329
P.R Department: tel. 462-5968

FOLDER INVOICE

The Aqualectra Distribution invoice

Every month you will receive an invoice at home from Aqualectra Distribution, on which you will find a specification of how much water and electricity you consumed in the month in question and how much you have to pay for the consumption. In this folder, we will deal briefly with some aspects of our invoice.

Our rates …

The price you pay per kilowatt hour (for electricity) and per cubic meter of water is composed of two parts:

The base rate;
The fuel price. This price is established by the price that Aqualectra Production pays for the fuel (oil) which is used to process drinking water and to generate electricity.

The fuel price is subject to changes faster than the base price.

Aqualectra Distribution makes a distinction between domestic rates and business rates. For domestic customers, a progressive rate system is applied. That is to say: the higher the consumption of water and electricity, the higher the rate. The business rate is meant for customers who consume water and electricity for business purposes, such as stores, factories and hotels. The business rate is not progressive; there is one rate for electricity and one rate for water.

The present rates …

An information bulletin with the most recent rates is obtainable at all the information desks of Aqualectra Distribution, the Energy Center at Aqualectra Distribution Otrobanda and at the P.R. Department. We can also fax, mail or e-mail this information to you. In that case, you will have to contact our Energy Center.

First of all taking the meter readings …

In order to be able to send the invoice, we have to know how much you have consumed in a month. This means that, in principle, we have to take the meter readings of water and electricity of each customer every month. We have contracted out the taking of meter readings to a contractor. When taking the meter readings, we try trouble you as little as possible. If your meters are in a niche at the lot boundary, you will probably not notice anything, when the meter readings are taken. If your meters are not at the lot boundary, we will have to enter your premises, with your permission, to take the meter readings. The meter reader can identify himself at all times with an Aqualectra Distribution ID card.

If you want to know when your meter readings will be taken, you can contact us via telephone number 463-2328 or 463-2329. We have an annual survey on which the day of the month is indicated on which you can expect an employee to take the meter reading at your place.

Sometimes we have to estimate your consumption …

It can happen that the meter reader cannot take your meter readings, for example, if your meter is inside your house (this is notably the case with older houses) and you are not at home. In such a case, we make an estimate of your consumption of that month on the basis of your average daily consumption. This average is calculated on the basis of actual meter readings in the past at your address. At the bottom of your invoice, your will see at the specification whether the invoice was made on the basis of actual consumption (C.U. = cumulative usage) or on the basis of estimated consumption (E.U. = estimated usage).

As soon as after an estimate, an actual meter reading has taken place again, the estimated consumption will be recalculated. Differences, if any, between the earlier estimated consumption and the new recalculated consumption will be settled on you next invoice.

If you notice that your meter readings have been estimated for more than three months, we recommend that you contact us at telephone number 463-2328 or 463-2329. You can then pass on your meter readings by telephone.

We help prevent problems …

It is very annoying to receive an invoice with a higher consumption than you had expected. In order to detect possible errors or malfunctions rapidly, we regularly check whether your consumption deviates strongly from your average consumption. Should this be the case, we can decide to retake your meter readings, in order to correct any possible errors. We can also investigate on the spot what could be the cause of an extremely high consumption of water or electricity. It can happen, for example, that you have a leakage at home of which you are not aware. Our employees can point this out to you and advise what to do.

Drawing up and delivering your invoice …

After taking the meter readings, they are processed in our consumer information system. This system calculates automatically, on the basis of the current rates, the amount that you have to pay for your water and electricity consumption. The invoices are delivered, per district, by a postal service. If you have not received your invoice, you can contact us at telephone number 463-2328 or 463-2329.

Data to be found on the invoice …

The Aqualectra Distribution invoice is subdivided into three parts:

first of all your personal data, such as name, address, etc.;
then the balances that you have paid and those that are outstanding (the part above the perforated line);
finally, a specification of your consumption (the part below the perforated line).

The upper part of the invoice, so the part above the perforated line, will be kept by Aqualectra Distribution after payment. You will receive the lower part of the invoice, so the part below the perforated line.

General data …

Name of the customer
The invoice address

The address where the invoice is sent. So, this need not be the address for which the consumption is calculated.

The Aqualectra Distribution account number

This number is related to the lot for which the consumption is calculated.

The date on which the invoice was drawn up
The invoice period

The period to which the consumption is related.

The address where water and/or electricity is supplied

The lot for which the consumption is calculated.

The customer’s bank account number

This number is only mentioned, if the customer has chosen automatic transfer.

The invoice (first part)

The initial balance

The balance for the previous period. So, in this example, the customer had to pay for the previous period (so, until March 6) ANG. 62.73.

Total amount paid for the previous period

In this example, the customer paid for the previous period (so, until March 6) ANG. 62.73; so, the customer does not have an outstanding amount for the previous period.

The new period amount and the expiration date

The amount that the customer has to pay for the present period (so, from March 6 until April 6) is ANG. 64.27. The customer has to pay this amount before the indicated expiration date; in this case May 3, 1999.

The total balance

The total amount that the customer has to pay before the indicated expiration date.

The total balance = the initial balance (no. 8) minus what was paid for the previous period (no. 9), plus the new period amount (no. 10).

The invoice (the second part)

The initial balance (see no. 8)
The manner of payment

In this example, the customer paid at the cash point Aqualectra Distribution in Otrobanda on April 1.

The electricity consumption in Antillean guilders
The water consumption in Antillean guilders
Standing charge for water
The new period amount and the expiration date (see no. 10)
The total balance (see no. 11)

Specification

The product that is supplied

Water and/or electricity

The numbers of the meters

Each water and/or electricity meter has a unique number. This number is indicated on the meters.

The initial date of the present consumption period
The initial reading of the meter
The final date of the present consumption period
The final reading of the meter
The factor

The computation factor that we use for consumption of electricity. The factor depends, among other things, on the type of customer and the manner in which we take the meter readings. Domestic customers have factor 1. For the calculation of your consumption, you, as a domestic consumer, normally need not take this factor into account. For business customers, this factor depends on the connected capacity.

The consumption for the present period (in m3 and/or kWh)
The unit in which the consumption is calculated

For water, the consumption is calculated per cubic meters (m3) and for electricity in kilowatt hours (kWh).