The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

AN Opposition senator yesterday asserted that Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) and Bahamas Grid Company "need to get their act together" as businesses lose revenue from frequent power outages and consumers complain about increasing summer bills.

Speaking during the Senate debate on the ‘Speech from the Throne’, Arinthia Komolafe said persistent electricity outages are affecting both households and businesses as The Bahamas experiences unusually hot weather. "We are going through a heat wave at this time in our country," she said.

"We are experiencing heat levels like we have never experienced before, but yet persons are suffering... with the lights not staying on." Mrs Komolafe also questioned recent electricity bills, arguing consumers were promised lower power costs.

"How can you release these bills, and justify the high cost of these bills, when it was promised in the ‘Blueprint for Chang’e that the cost of electricity would go down?" she said of the Progressive Liberal Party’s election campaign manifesto. "I actually shared information that demonstrated that, on average, the bills were really going up as opposed to coming down."

The FNM senator said outages are also hurting businesses. Recalling a recent visit to collect online purchases, she said the freight forwarder's power was out before she attempted to buy coffee next door. "I couldn't get a coffee because the power was off," Mrs Komolafe said.

"So not only is the unreliability of electricity impacting citizens and impacting the general public, it is also impacting businesses. In the height of the day, businesses are losing crucial revenue."

Mrs Komolafe urged both BPL and Bahamas Grid Company to move beyond promises and “get their act together”. "We are tired of the nice words, and BPL - or Bahamas Grid Company, whether by themselves or together - need to get their act together sooner rather than later... because it is too hot for thism” she added.

Her remarks came as BPL sought to address complaints over higher electricity bills, which it said are the result of increased summer consumption rather than higher rates.

In a statement yesterday, the utility said neither its base rate nor fuel charge has changed since last autumn, arguing increased electricity consumption during the hotter months is responsible for higher bills.

"As outside temperatures rise, the demand for cooling increases," BPL said. The utility said air conditioners, refrigerators and freezers must operate longer to maintain temperatures, resulting in higher electricity use even when rates remain unchanged.

BPL added that its director of customer service, Donahue Ferguson, will next week explain the relationship between summer temperatures, electricity consumption and monthly bills through the company's social media and WhatsApp platforms while also offering energy-saving tips.