Argentina

Getting Electricity in

Argentina

Listed below are the procedures, time and cost required for a business to obtain an electricity connection for a newly constructed building.

The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.

  • Name of Utility: EDESUR
  • City: Buenos Aires (Ciudad autonoma de)

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No. Procedure Time to Complete Associated Costs
1 Obtain approval of electrical plans from relevant Municipality ("Habilitacion Municipal del plano electromecánico and del plano de la instalación eléctrica")

The customer has to submit together with his application for a service connection a receipt of his application to the Municipality for approval of the electrical plans ("Habilitacion Municipal del plano electromecánico and del plano de la instalación eléctrica"). The two sets of electrical plans detail respectively: a) the location of the machines and their respective electricity needs and b) the design of the internal wiring installation. The customer has to present the approved municipal clearance at the end of the connection process. But a receipt attesting that the procedure has been initiated already has to be submitted at the time of the application. The municipal clearance is required for all new industrial constructions. This procedure happens after the building permit which only covers the civil works of the building.

Agency: Municipio 		45 calendar days ARS 1,100.0
* 2 Customer submits service application to EDESUR and awaits estimate of the connection costs

The application for the service connection can be submitted online, in person, by mail or fax. The following documents are required with the application:
• Letterhead indicating the name and coordinates of the authorized applying customer
• Details on the required electricity load and the simultaneity factor (this factor specifies how much electrical equipment will be consuming electricity at the same time).
• Sketch of the geographic location of the construction
• document clarifying the ownership of the building
• Municipal approval of electrical plans ("habilitación municipal electromecánica") (if the building is still under construction the approved building plans are also required).
• Identification document for the owner of the building
• A valid document indicating the directors of the company
• document certifying the customer is authorized to submit applicatio and copy of his national identity document (Documento Nacional de Identidad -DNI)
• Proof of registration with the Federal Tax Authority (Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos - AFIP)
• DCI -an internal wiring certificate (DCI - Declaración de conformidad Res. ENRE 207/95) issued by an electrician registered with the Association for the Promotion of Electrical Safety ("Asociación para la Promoción de la Seguridad Eléctrica -A.P.S.E."). It is not compulsary.
• If the customer is not the owner of the building a security deposit is required equivalent to two months of future consumption.

Agency: Edesur 		14 calendar days no charge
* 3 Receive external inspection from EDESUR

Edesur carries out an external inspection to prepare the technical report and to prepare an estimate of the connection costs. It is preferable that a representative of the customer is present at the time of the inspection. The inspector will establish the connection point and, if necessary, the best location for the chamber for the distribution transformer. On the basis of the information a technical project detailing the required works will be elaborated. The project will also indicate which part of the works will have to be done by the customer or his sub-contractor.

Agency: Edesur 		11 calendar days no charge
* 4 Customer hires an electrician registered with the Association for the Promotion of Electrical Safety ("Asociación para la Promoción de la Seguridad Eléctrica -A.P.S.E.") to obtain an internal wiring certification for the building

In the waiting of the approval from the municipality, a customer presents an internal wiring certificate DCI (DCI - Declaración de conformidad) in order to continue the procedures with Edesur. The DCI is issued by an electrician registered with the Association for the Promotion of Electrical Safety ("Asociación para la Promoción de la Seguridad Eléctrica -A.P.S.E."). The internal wiring of the building is the responsibility of the user/owner of the building.

Not all electricians in Buenos Aires are registered with the Association for the Promotion of Electrical Safety ("Asociación para la Promoción de la Seguridad Eléctrica -A.P.S.E.").


Agency: Un electricista registrado con la Asociación para la Promoción de la Seguridad Eléctrica (A.P.S.E.) 		7 calendar days ARS 4,750.0
5 The customer signs the supply contract with EDESUR, pays for the connection and awaits an inspection by EDESUR of the works done by the customer's subcontractor

The signed supply contract is a prerequisite for EDESUR to start its part of the connection works. By means of the supply contract the client commits to paying the electricity that will be consumed and to not lower the initial load estimate on which the connection works are based. In this moment, the client also has to present the electrical plans approved by the relevant Municipality ("Habilitacion Municipal del plano electromecánico and del plano de la instalación eléctrica"). After the supply contract has been signed, EDESUR inspects the part of the connection works that was carried out by the electrical constractor of the customer. EDESUR will only start its part of the works once the civil works for the connection have been finalized by the electrical contractor of the customer.


Agency: Edesur 		1 calendar day no charge
6 EDESUR finalizes the connection works and installs the meter

EDESUR approves the works that the electrical contractor of the customer did, obtains the relevant approvals from the municipality to do the excavation works in public spaces and finalizes the rest of the connection works. The installation of the meter happens on the same day that the connection works are carried out and the electricity starts flowing right away.


Agency: Edesur 		21 calendar days ARS 1,100.0
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.
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