Needing to exchange my 25 pound propane tank prompted me to visit one of my bookmarked web sites, the Nicaraguan Institute of Energy (INE) to check on the latest regulated price. Its a valuable resource for domestic and business consumer information. As you go through the information, click on the various links in blue.
Under “Precios del GLP vigentes – Precio Regulado” (Current LPG Prices – Regulated Price) on the home page you will find a list of the 17 (departmental) distribution centers and how much each will charge at those centers for the three regular sizes of 10, 25 and 100 pounds of gas. (Gas licuado del petróleo – GLP being Liquid Petroleum Gas or LPG as we know it).
Note: IVA (Value Added Tax of 15%) is included in the 100 pound tanks (considered commercial). The 10 and 25 pound tanks (considered domestic) are exempt from IVA.
The next two pages of the report, as you scroll down, list the additional transport charges to each of the various municipalities served by those departmental centers.
Propane is regulated (mainly because of the domestic use for cooking) yet other petroleum derived products are not. Gasoline, both regular and super as well as diesel, kerosene and related products are all at free market prices across the country.
However, the INE carries out a weekly price monitoring survey for Managua and produces a detailed price report under “Precios de los Combustibles” (fuel prices) on the main page.
Electricity
Lastly, electricity and the rather complicated system of tariffs can be found under “Pliegos Tarifarios” (Rate Sheets) on the main page of the web site. Having clicked on Pliegos Tarifarios, click on Pliegos Tarifarios Disnorte Dissur and then year and month. You want the Pliego tarifario aplicado e indicativo. (The Tarifa Social refers to the very low end energy usage and the subsidy). Most residential consumers will be under “Baja tensión – Residencial, General, Industrial e Irrigación”
There are literally tens of combinations of rates and discounts, mainly depending on what you use it for (or more importantly what your bill thinks you use it for), combined with how much you use. It’s probably a good thing to check that the code on your bill matches the usage, e.g. residential, commercial, hotel, agriculture etc. “Baja tensión – Residencial” will show as; TO BT. DOMESTICO below Tarifa on your Disnorte Dissur bill.
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