The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE Democratic National Alliance will hold a demonstration at 9am today in front of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation’s main office, in protest of the country’s “extremely high light bills,” Chairman Andrew Wilson said yesterday.

Mr Wilson said at a time when fuel prices are going down all over the world, it is nonsense that electricity bills in the Bahamas remain so high.

“The DNA will begin a series of demonstrations against the high cost of electricity,” he said at a press conference. “The truth is that in the Bahamas, the cost of electricity is too high. This at a time when the cost of oil is at an all-time low. You would have noticed that the surcharge on your electricity bill continues to escalate and businesses are being forced to close and lay off employees just to pay their electricity bill,” he said.

“I want to invite as many Bahamians to (meet) outside BEC on Blue Hill Road at 9am (today). Together with one strong voice we can bring down the cost of electricity because it is just too high.”

Last month, Leslie Miller, BEC executive chairman, said that despite the steep drop in global oil prices since June, the state-owned corporation has seen no decrease in its fuel bill “to talk about”.

He suggested that BEC’s massive fuel debt to Shell Western was part of the reason why.

Oil prices have hit their lowest levels in years since June, driven largely by what experts have deemed a supply glut. US prices have fallen 25 per cent to around $80 a barrel.

But last month Mr Miller said BEC, which passes its fuel costs on to businesses and households by way of a “variable rate” to its customers in their bills, had not seen any benefit from lower global oil prices.

He said: “BEC has seen no decrease, nothing to talk about. It’s just one rip-off on the backs of the Bahamian people.

“Because Shell West has us by the little ones, because we owe them so much money, they could play games with us because they have the upper hand.

“We haven’t seen it, no. Right now our current balance to Shell Western is about $130m.”

BEC’s fuel charge, which accounts for as much as 60 per cent of consumer light bills, is effectively a “pass through” charge or “cost recovery” mechanism from which the corporation, in theory, makes no profit.