Electricity, Water, Gas, and Utilities in Ecuador — Your Complete Household Setup Guide

Your apartment is signed, your boxes are unpacked, and now you're standing in the kitchen wondering how anything works. The shower has a suspicious-looking electrical device on the showerhead. There's a hose coming out of the wall that apparently connects to a gas tank. The outlets look familiar but you're not sure you trust them. And someone just honked a horn outside and your neighbor is yelling out the window.

Welcome to household life in Ecuador. The good news: it's simpler than it looks, and it's absurdly cheap compared to what you paid back home. The less-good news: you need to understand a few things or you'll fry your laptop, take cold showers, and miss trash day for a month.

Electricity

The Basics

Ecuador runs on 110V/60Hz — the same voltage and frequency as the United States and Canada. Your American and Canadian electronics, appliances, and chargers work without any converter or transformer. Just plug them in.

Outlet types: Standard Type A (two flat prongs) and Type B (two flat prongs plus ground). Identical to US outlets. If you're coming from North America, you don't need a single adapter. Europeans, Australians, and Brits will need plug adapters — pick them up at any ferretería (hardware store) for $1-3 or buy before you leave home.

Grounding: Here's the catch. Many older buildings in Ecuador have ungrounded outlets, even if they have three-prong receptacles. The ground pin might not actually be connected to anything. This matters for surge-sensitive electronics. More on that below.

What It Costs

Electricity in Ecuador is government-subsidized, and your bill will make you emotional if you're coming from California or New England.

• Typical apartment (2-3 bedrooms, normal use): $20-60/month
• If you run air conditioning (coast or low elevations): $80-150/month — AC is by far the biggest electricity expense
• Highland cities like Cuenca and Quito: Most people don't use AC or heat, so bills stay low

The billing structure is tiered. The first 130 kWh per month are heavily subsidized (around $0.04/kWh). Go above that and the rate increases, but it's still cheap by North American standards.

How to Pay

Your electric utility depends on your city:

• Cuenca: CENTROSUR (Empresa Eléctrica Centro Sur)
• Quito: EEQ (Empresa Eléctrica Quito)
• Guayaquil: CNEL EP
• Other cities: Various regional providers

Bills arrive monthly, usually slipped under your door or posted in the building lobby. You can pay at:

• Banks: Banco del Pacífico, Banco Pichincha, Banco del Austro — bring the bill, pay at the counter
• Pharmacies: Fybeca and Pharmacys have payment kiosks
• Online: Most utilities now have online payment through their websites or banking apps
• Tiendas and papelerías: Many small shops process utility payments

If you're renting, ask your landlord whether utilities are included or separate. In some rentals, especially furnished apartments for expats, electricity is included up to a certain amount. Get this in writing.

Power Outages

Let's be honest about this. Ecuador has more power outages than you're used to.

In a normal period, expect 2-5 brief outages per month in most cities — lasting anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. Sometimes it's planned maintenance (your utility will post a schedule). Sometimes it's a transformer that blew. Sometimes nobody knows why.

The 2024 power crisis was a wake-up call. Ecuador generates roughly 80% of its electricity from hydropower, and a severe drought dropped reservoir levels to critical lows. The government imposed rolling blackouts of 8-14 hours per day for months. It was miserable. The situation improved in 2025 as rains returned and emergency thermal generation came online, but it exposed how vulnerable the grid is.

What to do about it:

• Buy a UPS (uninterruptible power supply): $50-100 at Computrón, LS Computer, or any electronics store. Plug your modem/router and laptop into it. You'll get 15-30 minutes of backup power — enough to save your work and keep internet running through short outages. Non-negotiable if you work remotely.
• Surge protectors: Essential. Power surges when electricity comes back on can destroy electronics. Buy a good multi-outlet surge protector ($10-20) for your computer setup and another for your TV/entertainment area. Available at any ferretería, Coral Hipermercados, or Comandato.
• LED flashlights and candles: Keep them accessible. Your phone flashlight works, but a real flashlight is better for extended outages.
• Portable power station: If you're a remote worker and the 2024-style rationing ever returns, a portable power station like an EcoFlow or Jackery ($300-800) can run your laptop and internet for 6-12 hours. Overkill for normal outages, but peace of mind if you remember the blackout era.

Water

Cost and Quality

Water is even more subsidized than electricity. Expect to pay $5-15/month for a typical apartment. In Cuenca, the water utility is ETAPA, which also handles internet and phone.

Drinking water: Covered in our separate guide on drinking water, but the short version: tap water in Cuenca and Quito is technically treated and potable, but most expats (and many locals) drink bottled or filtered water. A 20-liter botellón (jug) of purified water costs $2-3 delivered to your door. A countertop filter system like a Brita works fine for daily use.

Hot Water: The Shower Situation

This is where newcomers get nervous.

Many Ecuadorian apartments use an electric shower head (ducha eléctrica or calefón eléctrico) — a device attached directly to the showerhead that heats water as it flows through using an electrical element. Yes, electricity and water together in the same device, right above your head.

Before you panic: they work, and millions of people use them daily across Latin America. However:

• Never touch the device while the water is running. Just don't.
• Water pressure affects temperature. Lower flow = hotter water. If the water is lukewarm, reduce the flow. If it's scalding, increase it. The opposite of what you're used to.
• They don't produce truly hot water — more like "warm enough." If you want a genuinely hot shower, you want a gas water heater.

The better option is a gas water heater (calefón a gas) — a tankless unit mounted on the wall, usually on a balcony or in a utility area. These produce hotter, more consistent water and are standard in newer buildings and higher-end apartments.

When apartment hunting, ask: "Does it have a calefón a gas or ducha eléctrica?" If hot showers matter to you (and they should), prioritize apartments with gas water heaters.

Water Pressure

Varies dramatically building to building. Ground-floor apartments usually have fine pressure. Upper floors in buildings without a roof-mounted cistern (tanque) and pump (bomba) may get weak pressure, especially during peak usage hours (morning showers, evening dishes).

Ask about water pressure before signing a lease. Turn on the shower during your apartment visit and check.

Gas

Cooking and Heating

Most Ecuadorian kitchens run on gas stoves, not electric. Gas is also used for water heaters (calefones). Two supply methods exist:

Subsidized gas tanks (GLP — Gas Licuado de Petróleo):

• The iconic blue 15kg tank costs $1.60. Yes, a dollar sixty. It's one of the most generous subsidies in Ecuador.
• A tank lasts 3-6 weeks for a typical household, depending on how much you cook.
• How to get one delivered: Gas trucks drive through neighborhoods on regular routes, honking a distinctive horn. When you hear it, yell from your window or run outside and flag them down. They'll carry the tank up to your apartment and swap it for your empty one. The whole exchange takes 2 minutes.
• You can also call the number printed on the tank for delivery, or ask your building's portero (doorman) to flag the truck.
• Keep a spare: Running out of gas mid-cooking is annoying. Most expats keep a second tank as backup. Your landlord or neighbors can tell you where the nearest gas depot is if the truck doesn't come.

Piped gas (gas centralizado):

• Newer apartment buildings and condos increasingly have centralized gas systems piped directly to each unit. No tanks to swap. You pay monthly based on usage, billed by the building administration.
• More convenient but slightly more expensive per unit than the subsidized tanks.

Gas Safety

Gas leaks are the main household safety risk in Ecuador. Take them seriously:

• Check hose connections between the tank and stove/calefón regularly. The rubber hoses degrade over time. Replace them every 2-3 years or whenever they look cracked. Hoses cost $3-5 at any ferretería.
• If you smell gas: Open windows immediately, don't flip any light switches (sparks), don't light anything, and get out. Turn off the tank valve if you can do so safely.
• Tank storage: Keep tanks upright in a ventilated area. Never store them in enclosed rooms without ventilation.

Internet

Covered in detail in our Internet and Remote Work in Ecuador guide. The short version: fiber internet from ETAPA (Cuenca), CNT, or Netlife costs $25-50/month for 50-300 Mbps. It's generally reliable in cities but affected by power outages (hence the UPS recommendation above).

Trash and Recycling

Pickup Schedule

Municipal trash collection runs on a fixed schedule that varies by neighborhood — typically 3 times per week (e.g., Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday).

How it works in most neighborhoods:

• Place your trash bags on the curb or at the designated collection point by 6:00 PM the night before your scheduled pickup
• Collection trucks come early morning (usually between 6-10 AM)
• Use standard plastic bags — there's no requirement for special bins in most areas
• Large items (furniture, appliances) require separate arrangements with the municipal waste service

Ask your neighbors or portero about the schedule for your specific address. Getting it wrong means your trash sits on the curb attracting dogs and complaints.

Recycling

Ecuador is working on it, but formal recycling infrastructure is limited compared to what you might be used to.

• Newer buildings in Cuenca and Quito often have separate bins for recyclables (paper, plastic, glass, metal) in the common areas
• Informal recyclers (recicladores): Ecuador has a large informal recycling sector. People with carts or trucks collect cardboard, plastic bottles, and scrap metal from the streets. If you separate your recyclables and leave them accessible, they'll be picked up
• E-waste: Electronics stores like Comandato occasionally run collection drives. Don't throw batteries and electronics in regular trash

In Cuenca, EMAC (the municipal waste company) has been expanding recycling programs and will provide more information about separation requirements for your area.

Laundry

The No-Dryer Reality

Here's a cultural adjustment: clothes dryers are rare in Ecuador. Most Ecuadorians — including wealthy ones — air-dry their clothes on tendederos (drying racks or clotheslines), usually on a balcony, rooftop terrace, or in a laundry area.

In Cuenca and the highlands, this works surprisingly well. The dry mountain air and strong UV at altitude mean clothes dry in 4-8 hours on a sunny day. On cloudy or rainy days, it takes longer. Jeans and towels are the worst — allow a full day.

Indoor drying racks ($10-20 at any housewares store) work fine in a pinch. Place near a window or in a well-ventilated room.

Washing Machines

Most apartments have washing machine hookups (connections for water and drainage). Some furnished rentals include a machine; others don't.

If you need to buy one, head to Comandato, Artefacta, or Créditos Económicos — Ecuador's major appliance chains. A basic top-loader runs $300-400; a front-loading machine is $400-600. Samsung, LG, and Indurama (Ecuadorian brand, perfectly good) are the common options.

Semi-automatic machines ($150-250) are popular budget options — you fill them manually and move clothes between wash and spin tubs. They work, they're cheap, and they use less water.

Laundry Services

If you don't want to deal with laundry at all, lavanderías (laundromats/laundry services) are everywhere and incredibly cheap:

• Wash-dry-fold service: $1-2 per kilogram
• Drop off in the morning, pick up the same evening or next day
• Most lavanderías will iron and fold for a small additional charge

For a single person, a week's worth of laundry might cost $3-5. For a couple, $5-8. Many expats — even those with washing machines at home — use lavanderías for sheets, towels, and anything bulky.

Pest Control

Ecuador's year-round mild climate is lovely for you and also lovely for bugs. What you'll deal with depends on your elevation.

Highland Cities (Cuenca, Quito, Loja)

• Ants: The constant companion. They will find any crumb, any spill, any open container of sugar. Keep food sealed, wipe counters religiously, and use ant bait traps ($2-3 at supermarkets). They're not dangerous, just relentless.
• Mosquitoes: Minimal at higher elevations. Cuenca at 2,500m has almost none. Quito (2,800m) similarly.
• Cockroaches: Occasional, especially in older buildings or ground-floor apartments. Not the infestation-level problem you'd find on the coast, but you'll see one from time to time. Keep drains covered at night.

Coastal and Low-Elevation Areas

• Mosquitoes: A real issue. Dengue is present on the coast and in lower-elevation areas. Use screens, repellent, and eliminate standing water around your home.
• Cockroaches: Larger and more frequent than the highlands. Welcome to the tropics.
• Other visitors: Geckos (harmless and eat bugs — leave them alone, they're working for you), occasional spiders, and in rural areas, scorpions.

Fumigation Services

Professional fumigation (fumigación) costs $20-40 per visit for a standard apartment. Most pest control companies offer monthly or quarterly treatment plans. Ask your building administration if they do building-wide fumigation — many do, usually quarterly.

For DIY, supermarkets and ferreterías sell sprays, ant baits, and cockroach traps from brands like Raid and Baygon for $3-7.

Setting Up Utilities in Your Name

If you're renting, utilities are often already set up in the landlord's name, and you simply reimburse them or pay directly based on the bills. This is the simplest arrangement.

If you need to set up utilities in your own name (buying property or your lease requires it), you'll need:

• Your cedula (foreign ID card) or passport
• Your rental contract or property deed
• A visit to the utility company's office (CENTROSUR, ETAPA, etc.)
• Patience — bring a book

The process typically takes 1-3 visits. Having a Spanish-speaking friend or tramitador (fixer) with you helps enormously.

The Bottom Line on Monthly Utility Costs

For a typical 2-3 bedroom apartment in a highland city like Cuenca:

Utility	Monthly Cost
Electricity	$20-60
Water	$5-15
Gas (subsidized tanks)	$3-5
Internet (fiber)	$25-50
Trash collection	Included in taxes
Total	$53-130

Compare that to $300-500+ for the same services in most US cities, and you'll understand why Ecuador's cost of living gets so much attention. The infrastructure isn't as polished, outages happen, and you'll learn to live with a drying rack instead of a dryer. But for what you pay, you can't complain.