Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis speaks with officials while touring the solar panel project at C H Reeves High School on August 22, 2024.
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
ENERGY Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said Bahamians can expect a gradual decline in their electricity bills as efforts continue to introduce cleaner, cheaper fuel and more efficient generators.
Her comments follow public complaints about high electricity costs despite the new Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) rate structure, which took effect on July 1.
Under the revised plan, residents no longer pay for the first 200 kWh of electricity used each month, eliminating the previous charge of 10.95 cents per kWh. This change results in a monthly savings of $21.90, and the fuel charge has been reduced by 2.5 cents per kWh for the first 800 kWh.
Yesterday, Mrs Coleby-Davis addressed concerns from many consumers who have inquired about their bills, expressing worries about rising costs.
She said her ministry has reviewed these concerns and advise consumers to check the bar charts on their bills, which display energy usage and consumption over the past 12 months.
These charts help users understand fluctuations in their bills due to seasonal changes.
“During cooler months, you will typically see lower usage and bills,” Mrs Coleby-Davis told reporters yesterday.
“Conversely, in hotter months, increased air conditioning use can lead to higher energy consumption and costs. For example, one case showed a usage of 1,642 kWh in June with a bill of $720 and a usage of 1,978 kWh in July with a bill of $706. This indicates that while usage increased, the cost did not rise as significantly as it might have under the previous rate structure.”
She also noted that while some bills have decreased, there are cases where higher usage did not lead to a proportional increase in costs.
Nonetheless, Mrs Coleby-Davis assured that officials are working to further reduce electricity costs and promote energy conservation.
She had previously said energy costs should decrease over time due to efficiency upgrades at BPL, including the installation of a new HFO boiler at Clifton Pier and two new 30MW LNG- burning units.
“We are going to have gradual declines through- out the coming months because we are working on bringing in cleaner fuel, cheaper fuel, and more efficient generators,” Mrs Coleby-Davis added. “It will be a gradual decline that we hope to see. But sometimes it happens in the timeline you wish, and sometimes it doesn’t.”
The government’s equity rate adjustment will be in effect until the comprehensive tariff review is completed and approved by the government and URCA.
Comments
bahamianson 3 months, 1 week ago
Ministers need to do their job. No one needs to promise anything. The company belongs to we the people, no you the minister. Do your damn job!!
ExposedU2C 3 months, 1 week ago
Talk about a liar!!
hj 3 months, 1 week ago
"Gradual decline" is supposed to mean before the next general election is called or winter?
pt_90 3 months, 1 week ago
of course there is never a mention about the failed hedges and how they had to double our bills for over a year during the 'glide path', nor when that actually ended, how much was collected and did they repay the debts
ThisIsOurs 3 months, 1 week ago
"ENERGY Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said Bahamians can expect a gradual decline in their electricity bills as efforts continue to introduce cleaner, cheaper fuel and more efficient generators.
This is the same promise she made last year when bills skyrocketed because Brave Davis appeared to have abdicated his responsibility as Minister of Finance to Simon Wilson. So much so that the PM denied even knowing about any communication about the fuel hedge ultimately rejected by Wilson. The funny thing is the gradual decline in bills was supposed to have already started. Instead the minister comes to give another nonsensical wait for it explanation.
We clearly heard the PM say the bills would decline in July months after Coleby originally said the bills would have already declined. Neither happened.
And they keep focusing on "lower rates". What's actually happened is they executed an elaborate bait and switch. They changed the formula. They did lower the rates, and they reduced the lowest inconsequential bills by 20 dollars, but at the same time, they doubled, tripled, quadrupled the bills of the highest payers. This was not an accident. "OMG we have to investigate why some bills are so high!". This was all planned. Its planned landfall new revenue for no-assets to the table Pike and Wilson. The rates are lower as if that means anything, has become the 2nd greatest lie ever told.
And these Pike trucks are a slap in the face. We could have kept our assets and just hired them on contract to cut trees and fix lines.
The 3rd greatest lie is when the cooler months start bills will go down, as if they're doing something. Does the minister believe the Bahamian public is stupid? Of course the bills will go down. Unless.. they plan on introducing another new formula to tax not using electricity. As more people leave the grid in disgust, rather than focus on growing the economy, I can really see them creating such a blood out of stone policy.
ExposedU2C 3 months, 1 week ago
Trust me, after this coming Winter there will be no future lower bills in the cooler months if the insatiably greedy cabal of thieves led by Snake of FOCOL and crooked Tony Ferguson of CFAL are allowed to keep their majority ownership interest in BPL's power grid that they have literally stole from the Bahamian people for mere pennies on the dollar of true value with the help and blessing of corrupt PM Davis as their silent partner in the heist of all heists.
pt_90 3 months, 1 week ago
i think this is something the media has fell down on. What is the result of the 'gldie path'. Did it end yet? How much was raised and did it pay off the govt;. Not a peep.
moncurcool 3 months, 1 week ago
Sadly, the media has bee co-opted to be the communication team for the government.
All the media in this country does now is repot verbatim the garbage that comes out of the mouth of these government ministers.
No one fact checks them or does serious investigative reporting and challenge them.
Then again, if they challenge them you have bullies like Wilson who wants to fight.
LastManStanding 3 months, 1 week ago
Is this gradual decline in the room with us right now?
Socrates 3 months ago
the socialists would like you to believe this ... residents no longer pay for the first 200 kWh of electricity used each month ... but we all know that's not so. we are paying that somewhere.
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