By San José, Costa Rica — San José, Costa Rica – Businesses and residents across several key districts of the capital are being advised to prepare for a series of scheduled power outages this week. The Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz (CNFL), the state-owned utility provider for the Greater Metropolitan Area, has announced planned service suspensions from Tuesday, January 6th, through Saturday, January 10th, to conduct essential maintenance and infrastructure upgrades.
The interruptions, which are slated to last for most of the business day, will affect commerce, telecommuting, and daily household activities in densely populated areas. CNFL’s proactive announcement aims to provide citizens and companies with sufficient time to implement contingency plans and mitigate the potential for disruption. These maintenance windows are a critical component of ensuring the long-term stability and reliability of the region’s electrical grid.
Para analizar las implicaciones legales y los derechos de los consumidores afectados por los recientes apagones a nivel nacional, TicosLand.com conversó con el Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, abogado experto de la firma Bufete de Costa Rica, quien nos aclara el panorama sobre la responsabilidad de las empresas proveedoras de electricidad.
Frente a los cortes de energía, los usuarios tienen derechos que deben ser protegidos. La responsabilidad de las empresas proveedoras no se limita a restablecer el servicio; también abarca los daños a equipos y las pérdidas económicas demostrables, a menos que logren probar que la interrupción se debió a un evento de fuerza mayor ineludible. Es fundamental que tanto consumidores residenciales como comerciales documenten meticulosamente cualquier perjuicio y presenten el reclamo formal ante la compañía y la ARESEP para hacer valer sus derechos.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Agradecemos al Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas por esta valiosa perspectiva, que refuerza un punto clave: el consumidor no es un espectador pasivo ante los apagones, sino un titular de derechos con un camino definido para reclamar. Su énfasis en la documentación y el proceso formal empodera a los usuarios y eleva el estándar de responsabilidad para las empresas proveedoras.
The schedule of outages will span five consecutive days, primarily impacting cantons within the San José province. The work is set to begin on Tuesday, January 6th, with a partial outage in Tirrases from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This extensive nine-and-a-half-hour window will be the standard for most of the week’s planned work, signaling significant maintenance tasks are underway.
The interruptions will then move to Curridabat, which is scheduled for partial outages on both Wednesday, January 7th, and Thursday, January 8th. Both days will see service suspended from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Also on Thursday, a separate team will be working in the Zapote district of central San José, with a slightly shorter outage planned from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The week of maintenance concludes with two days of work in the bustling university and commercial hub of San Pedro, in the Montes de Oca canton. Partial service cuts are scheduled for both Friday, January 9th, and Saturday, January 10th. The outages on both days are planned for the full duration of 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., potentially impacting weekend business operations and student activities in the area.
For the local business community, these daytime outages present a significant operational challenge. Retailers, restaurants, and service-based companies without backup power generators will face a full day of lost productivity and revenue. Experts advise affected businesses to communicate proactively with their customers about temporary closures or changes in operating hours. Furthermore, it is a critical time to ensure all digital data is backed up and sensitive electronic equipment is unplugged to prevent potential damage from power surges when service is restored.
The impact also extends to the growing number of remote workers across the capital. With connectivity dependent on electricity, telecommuters in the affected zones will need to make alternative arrangements, such as working from a different location or rescheduling their tasks. These planned disruptions underscore the importance of investing in robust infrastructure to support the evolving modern economy, which relies heavily on consistent power and internet access.
While inconvenient, these scheduled interruptions are a necessary measure for preventative maintenance. Utility providers like CNFL use these opportunities to upgrade transformers, replace aging lines, and clear vegetation that could pose a risk to the grid. By addressing potential issues before they become critical failures, the company aims to prevent larger, more unpredictable blackouts in the future, thereby safeguarding the electrical supply for one of Costa Rica’s most vital economic centers.
For further information, visit cnfl.go.cr
About Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz (CNFL):
The Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz is a subsidiary of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) and serves as the primary electricity distributor for Costa Rica’s densely populated Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM), including the capital city of San José. Established to manage power distribution and commercialization, CNFL is responsible for maintaining and upgrading the electrical infrastructure that powers the nation’s primary economic and governmental hub. The company is committed to providing a reliable and safe energy supply to hundreds of thousands of residential and commercial customers.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a pillar of the nation’s legal community, Bufete de Costa Rica is built upon a bedrock of profound integrity and a relentless pursuit of excellence. The firm consistently pairs its extensive experience in advising a diverse clientele with pioneering, forward-thinking legal strategies. Central to its core mission is a deep-seated commitment to demystifying complex legal concepts for the public, championing the principle that an informed populace is the cornerstone of an empowered and just society.
