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First of all, make a deal! Most landlords on the island are
willing
to wheel and deal. They start high and sometimes can come as low
as half the original price. Look for an apartment that includes
the cost of as many utilities as possible. Utilities in Grenada
are expensive, and when you add them all up, they can be more
than
you budgeted for in an apartment.
The ideal situation would be for your landlord to pay for as
many
utilities as possible. You will save a load of money on
deposits,
save time on waiting for workers to set up the utilites and the
time to go pay for everything, and you won't have to deal with
getting
deposits back when you leave the island.
Phone and Internet
Home phone, cell phone, and internet usage are the most expensive utilities on the
island.
Providing these services is a company called Cable & Wireless, a monopoly, and only providers of phone and
internet
services on the island- and unlike the name, they do not provide cable tv services. If you plan on having phone or internet services installed, be
prepared
to give away a lot of money. Approximate costs of setup and
deposits
are listed below (and subject to change... or should I say, just
increase). Below prices are approximate and are as of May
2002.
| Phone Installation
Fee: |
$ 230 EC |
| Deposit for
Phone: |
$ 500 EC |
| Monthly Phone
Charges:
|
$ 38 EC |
| Internet
Installation
Fee: |
$ 80 EC |
| Deposit for
Internet |
$ 500 EC |
| Monthly Internet
Charges
|
|
| |
10 hours per
month: |
$ 35 EC |
| |
20 hours per
month: |
$ 60 EC |
| |
30 hours per
month: |
$ 80 EC |
| |
50 hours per
month: |
$ 120 EC |
| |
Unlimited access
per
month: |
$ 129 EC |
To see an updated price list, visit the Cable & Wireless Website for the following:
Internet Dialup Prices
Phone Prices
When you leave over Christmas or summer breaks, make sure to
take
care of your utilities. Cable and Wireless will accept payments
in advance. Pay for your next bill if you will be away. C&W
always seems to send the bills right after students leave, then
disconnect their phones for not receiving payments and charge
setup
fees to reset the phone lines. There is a monthly charge
for
temporarily disconnecting your services. Do the math to
determine
if temporarily disconnecting service is cheaper than continuing
to pay through those months, depending on how long you will be
away.
(Do take time and hassle into consideration as well).
Electricity
Most likely, even if you pay for electricity, you won't have to
physically get it set up. Your landlord or the electric company
will just begin to send you a bill.
Tips on saving money on your electric bill:
There is a switch on every 220 outlet here that when on, emits
power.
When not using the plug, switch it off.
Tips for saving money on your phone bill:
DON'T call long distance. The price to do this is outrageous.
Try
to email or contact that person in some other way and have them
call you. Or set up a time to do it every week. Calling from the
U.S. is cheaper if a Sprint Calling Card is purchased. Prices
have
recently been around 17 cents per minute. Make sure the card
specifies
Grenada. But better than that, if you're planning to have
internet
service, sign up for free MSN Instant Messenger and buy a cheap
headset before you come. Both parties have to have MSN IM, and
headsets,
but when you're set up, it's free to call each other over the
internet.
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