By EARYEL BOWLEG
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Power and Light (BPL) will immediately suspend disconnections until March 31.
In a public notice sent out on Tuesday, the power company noted: “As the nation adapts to the stringent measures taken by the government of The Bahamas to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) wishes to announce the following measures instituted in support of the government’s efforts to protect Bahamians.”
Along with the suspended disconnections, operations at the Mall at Marathon will also be suspended until March 31.
BPL encouraged its customers to observe the 24-hour curfew and said employees are maintaining an active customer call centre.
When contacted yesterday, BPL’s director of communications, Quincy Parker said the company could not say how many people would be affected by the suspension in disconnections.
BPL had planned to institute a bill increase this month to pay for a rate reduction bond.
However, that process has been delayed due because the bond has not been finalised.
“We are moving forward with finalising the required documents and processes to support the rate reduction bond offering,” Mr Parker said in an email in response to The Tribune’s questions. “The bond will be taken to market after all final approvals have been granted, and there is a favourable market window for the bond offering to be successful. The additional charges to consumer bills will appear after the bond has been closed as per the terms of the bond offering.”
Bahamians are staying at home and many businesses have suspended operations due to emergency orders executed by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in response to the pandemic.
Asked if the curfew is causing an increase in power usage, Mr Parker said BPL has actually seen a moderate reduction in demand due to cooler weather.
“Demand on BPL’s generation system is usually driven more by temperature than anything else,” he said. “Taking into consideration fluctuations in the daily temperatures, the fact is that BPL has seen a moderate reduction in demand since the implementation of the curfew. “However, that reduction has not led to a demand that is outside the typical range for this time of year, given those temperature fluctuations.”
Comments
bogart 4 years ago
In this NATIONAL CRISES first ever with nations lives in jeapordy....and govt seeking to render assisiance to all people....then BPL should have engineering teams to examine homes already have no electricity cut off....and reconnect them ....even offering temporary metered services.
Entrepreneur 4 years ago
Well said, this is woefully insufficient. I agree completely with Bogart.
And in addition any cut offs should be postponed until at least 1 month after the Bahamian people go back to work...
Bonefishpete 4 years ago
Isn't that like next Tuesday???
TheMadHatter 4 years ago
Yes ... very magnanimous of them :-)
SP 4 years ago
WHAT employees are maintaining an active customer call center? I have been trying to contact BPL for the last few days and it is absolutely impossible to reach them by phone there is no response by email!
Nobody minding the shop at BPL.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years ago
And good luck getting through to anyone on that new 311 number for permission to go to the food store, pharmacy, etc. during the 24/7 curfew.
xtreme2x 4 years ago
What are BPL gaining at this time of crisis, by disconnecting customers light? They will still be unpaid until crisis is controlled and people back to work. With light off that means some water is off also, leading to germs begin to grow and people getting sick which put more pressure on hospitals, nurses and doctors ect.
Some one need to show bpl managers including Bannister , the light that they are wrong and to fall in line with the rest of other corporations and companies that set relief terms for the the effective citizens.
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