The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Power and Light CEO Shevonn Cambridge said today’s meeting with hoteliers is more of a “listening opportunity”.

He added it is right in line with the company’s plan to be more communicative and to discuss things with all stakeholders.

Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA)’s president, revealed last week the industry has set up a meeting with the leadership of BPL.

Mr Cambridge told The Tribune yesterday it was an opportunity to talk with them as “one of our main stakeholders”.

“They called for the meeting, so it’s more of a listening opportunity and we intend to do this with all of our stakeholders from all of the different (rate) classes. It’s just that, you know, they kind of jumped the gun on us, and they called for the meeting,” he said.

“So it’s right in line with our plan to be more communicative and to discuss things with all stakeholders - things that we’re gonna discuss tomorrow were things like, some of the conservation initiatives that we would like to see them implement. We’re going to talk to them about some of the cost savings initiatives that we intend to implement and just to see how we can be better partners.

“They have a seasonal business and they have certain power quality concerns and we have some concerns about the manner in which they consume power. So it’s just, you know, an opportunity to talk with them as one of our main stakeholders,” Mr Cambridge said.

Mr Sands’ comments came weeks after Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’s announcement of the increase of the monthly fuel charge at BPL.

In reaction to this news, the BHTA president told Tribune Business earlier this month that the “extraordinary” magnitude of the proposed hikes - to be phased in quarterly over the next 11 months - will force resort operators to “re-engineer” their expense structures and business models to cope with the increase in their second-largest cost item.

Asked if he sees any feasible resolutions to aid hoteliers in any cost savings, Mr Cambridge replied: “Well, when you look at the new utility business model, there are a lot of opportunities for a break for all consumers. So there are a number of like new techniques and billing techniques that are available or that are out there.

“Things like time of use rates and demand side management - and these are some of the things we want to discuss with them as we explore moving forward. We’re trying to, you know, meet their needs using all of the things that are now currently being done in industry.

“So those are things that we currently don’t do in The Bahamas. We don’t have time of use rates. We don’t do demand side management. We don’t have a really sophisticated proponent, compensation plan. So these are the things that we’re going to investigate. So we’re looking at how do we maximise the opportunities, given the resources that are currently available to everybody,” Mr Cambridge said.

Mr Sands also suggested several ideas on mitigating the effects of the rise in the BPL fuel surcharge that BHTA will be proposing to BPL executives to try to ease the burden on hotels and those with large properties.

Asked if he feels this meeting will help ease the burden for hoteliers, the BPL chief executive officer indicated: “First of all, we got to identify where the burden is. Because like, I said, we feel that there are some opportunities for some cost saving measures to be implemented by both us and the hoteliers and it just requires us working together in a full understanding, and that’s why the meeting is so important.”

Mr Cambridge spoke about the inquiries from other stakeholders and trying to find solutions.

“Not other sectors but other stakeholders within the sector and so, you know, we have different rate classes,” he explained.

“We have residential, we have large commercial, and then we have medium sized commercial and those are different weight classes but even as we look now, like we’re getting a lot of inquiries and stuff from manufacturers, and while there isn’t a separate manufacturer rate class at the moment, based on the discussions, if there’s a need, then we may do so.

“I know at one point there used to be a church rate. And that went away, again, as we speak with them if the need arises, then that’s something that we may have to look at. You know, so as I said, it’s not about, you know, any existing issues, but it’s, it’s about trying to find solutions and to work with all stakeholders.”

Earlier this month, Mr Davis announced that for BPL customers who consume less than 800 kWh (kilowatt hours), the fuel charge is increasing by 2 cents per kWh, “which will result in an increase this quarter of less than $20 per month.”

However, he gave an assurance that the bill increases will only be temporary and are expected to come down over the next 12 to 18 months.

For those who consume more than 800 kWh, the increase will be 4.3 cents per kWh.