observer2

3 Vote

observer2 10 years ago on Disconnection threat is contradicted by BEC chief

Disconnection threat is contradicted by BEC chief

The crux of the matter is that electricity is too expensive and out of reach for the average Bahamian. Now with VAT being added onto BEC bills more Bahamian will fall into the category of being unable to keep the light on.

This is one of the hottest summers on record and with global warming and a flawed and convoluted energy vision for the Bahamas, you can expect BEC costs to continue to climb.

I've compared BEC rates to Florida Power and Light (FPL) for a residential property and noted that BEC is 209% more than FPL for electricity and 641% more for the fuel surcharges. Overall BEC charges 382% more than FPL for electricity.

For a residential property burning over 800 Kwh BEC charges 0.1495 per Kwh and fuel of 0.252873 per Kwh for a total charge of 0.4024 per Kwh.

For a residential property burning over 1,000 Kwh FPL charges 0.07159 per Kwh and fuel of 0.03947 per Kwh for a total charge of 0.11106 per Kwh.

A comprehensive energy vision for the Bahamas would include selling 100% of BEC to Bahamian private enterprises and the general public through an IPO (get government out of the electricity business like all developed nations have done), splintering BEC into stand alone 'baby' BECs by island, introduction of solar energy, introduction of waste to energy processing, recycling, introduction of competition (eg. Cable voice v. BTC voice services), allow citizens to sell energy back to the grid and hive off the electrical grid to a separate to serve all electrical companies.

Through the Freedom of Information Act we could have determined why the fuel surcharges are 641% more expensive than Florida. However I can only guess that it is the difference in cost of diesel v. gas, plant efficiency/age, freight, lack of competition in the supply of diesel to BEC, mark ups by government and private concerns (cartel like behavior) on the purchase of diesel. I can't tell but it feels like someone is getting rich off of us.