Utilities
Electricity
Electricity is provided by Centro Sur. Failures and interruptions are rare.
Gas
In most homes in the Cuenca region, people need gas to heat water and to cook. Cities and villages in the Cuenca region have no gas pipelines to deliver (natural) gas. Modern condominium buildings have central gas systems, but if you are not living in such a building, you will need to buy gas cylinders.
Buying gas cylinders
Before buying a gas cylinder filled with gas, you need to be sure that you have an empty gas cylinder to give to the gas vendor. You can get empty gas cylinders at stores like Coral and AKÍ. An empty gas cylinder usually costs between $45 and $55. You can also get gas cylinders from gas vendors, but they ask for a higher price. Another option is to buy a gas cylinder via Facebook Marketplace. The offered gas cylinders usually cost about $40.
The easiest way is to buy a full gas cylinder from a gas distribution truck. The vendor will ask $3 if you return an empty gas cylinder. In Cuenca, you can recognize the gas distribution trucks by the song about Cuenca that they play. In the video below, you can listen to this song. When no gas distribution trucks are not showing up, you can call one. There are many gas distribution companies with trucks. An example of such a company in Cuenca is Distribuidora Idrovo. The WhatsApp number of this company to order gas cylinders is +593 9 8284 5747.
Most cities also have several distribution points for consumers. Here you can buy gas cylinders for $1.66 if you return an empty gas cylinder. By law, these gas vendors cannot ask for higher prices. The difference with the price when buying from a gas distribution truck is a service fee.
Color system
The colors of gas cylinders vary by region in Ecuador. In the Cuenca region, you will see white (blanco), yellow (amarillo), and blue (azul) gas cylinders. White and yellow are the most frequent colors of gas cylinders in the Cuenca region. In the past, businesses could only use blue gas cylinders, but this is no longer the case. Vendors will usually accept all three colors. Vendors do not take in gas cylinders with different colors than white, yellow, or blue. The reason is that vendors cannot exchange these gas cylinders from other regions at the regional gas distribution point for resellers in Challuabamba.
Recommendations
- Have a reserve gas cylinder in case a gas cylinder runs out.
- Make sure that all your gas cylinders are full when there is a high probability that a national strike is about to occur. During national strikes, there is usually a severe shortage of full gas cylinders in the Cuenca region.
- Many modern condominium buildings have central gas systems. If you don’t want to worry about gas cylinders, you may choose a home in such a building.
- Sell your gas cylinders when moving to a region with different gas cylinder colors.
Water
Cuenca has potable water that is drinkable. The municipal utility company ETAPA distributes the water with water pipelines. Expect to pay around $15 per month for water if you live alone and around $20-25 if you have a family. You can pay the monthly bills for water at one of the ETAPA offices or at one of the stores that offer payment services. Many banks and credit unions also offer the option of automatic payment.
The mountains of the El Cajas National Park are Cuenca’s primary water source. It’s said to be the best water in South America. The water can contain parasites, so if you are sensitive to parasites it may be wise not to drink the water untreated.