The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

PUBLIC consultation on Bahamas Power & Light’s (BPL) Consumer Protection Plan will close this week, sector regulators said yesterday.

Stephen Bereaux, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority’s (URCA) chief executive, said: “BPL is required to put forward its proposed standards for consumer protection for customers of BPL. URCA is required to consult on the standards with the public, and eventually approve the standards.

“These are the standards that BPL; of its own accord; its own extent, chooses to put in place for its customers. The consultation on the BPL plan closes on Thursday.”

URCA has conducted a series of public meetings on various Family Islands to educate consumers about the content of Bahamas Power and Light’s (BPL) consumer protection plan. “As part of that process we did sort of a road show, and I think that was very well received. A lot of people came out to express their views,” said Mr Bereaux.

“The next step, once the period closes, is for URCA to combine and respond to all the comments, at which point we will publish a statement of results and, based on that, we will go back to BPL and they can issue their final consumer protection plan.”

BPL’s draft consumer protection plan was challenged by engineers, including Debbie Deal, head of the Chamber of Commerce’s energy and environment division, who suggested that its title was a misnomer and that it should be renamed given the restrictions on consumer compensation for damaged electronic equipment.

Mr Bereaux noted that regardless of the BPL Consumer Protection Plan, the regulator will have its own rules to govern the energy provider.