...And Lows

The end of our first week was dominated by more dramas at the RADEEF. We decided to pay the bills of the previous owners just so we could move forward with getting power and water back on. The issue had become less urgent since we had decided to get a long-term lease on another house in the medina while the work was being done on our place, however we would still need electricity and water for the builders.

After paying the bills, we arrived at the desk for ‘annulation/ouverture’ of accounts. We were informed, after much frowning at the computer screen and endless key tapping, that the power and water was still connected at our house and should be working. We assured the man that it was not. Being a friendly and helpful soul, he summoned a man to go with us to the house immediately and ascertain the problem. We trotted along behind him through the streets to our house, and opened the front door to show him inside. Apparently there was no need. He looked at the hole in the wall where there should have been a water meter connecting two pipes, and up at the wires leading to our house. After much gesticulating and sign language we figured out that the meter had been either vandalised or stolen, as the metal box designed to contain it was not secure, and that the wires to our house had been cut. Which seemed very strange as it would have taken someone on a ladder a lot of trouble to do so. Anyway, we headed back to the office where the situation was related to the man behind the desk.

It was, of course, our problem and could be fixed, but at our expense. We were told it would be repaired by the following Tuesday, insha’Allah.

With relation to changing the accounts into our name, we were provided with a long list of the documents required to do so and told to come back the next day.

We dutifully returned the next morning, papers in hand, and after half an hour of endless head scratching, key tapping and animated discussion with two other colleagues, they eventually managed to change the electricity and water accounts into Vincent’s name. Not before we parted with another huge chunk of change however. The cost of changing the name and repairing the wires and meter was another 2137dh (€200). Then, just when we thought we were done, another problem surfaced. Our electricity meters were located inside the house – in the old style – and would need to be moved outside so the RADEEF could check them more easily. We would need a permit to do so – another 145dh – and were told to attend to it as soon as possible. Sighing, we obtained the permit, paid more money, and left the RADEEF feeling very hard done by.

The post script to all this is that after haemorrhaging money every time we walked into the RADEEF office, and spending far too many hours there, more than a week has passed since the promised ‘Tuesday’ repair job and we still don’t have power or water at the house.