by WADE GIBBONS

BARBADOS LIGHT & POWER COMPANY LIMITED (BL&P) yesterday rolled out  an increased pricing regimen that  could prove negligible for residential customers who conserve energy  and make use of the company’s  ten per cent early discount policy.

At a media briefing at BL&P’s Bay Street, St Michael boardroom, chief marketing officer Stephen Worme indicated that increases for residential customers using between 50 kWh and 500 kWh would range between $3.47 and $9.55 depending on usage.

Residential customers, he noted, could examine and compare their electricity bills from previous months to see how the charges would affect them. He said that 90 per cent of residential customers fell within the 50 kWh to 500 kWh range.

Worme explained that for people  who used up to 50 kWh monthly and previously incurred a payment of about $29.27, their increase would be  in the vicinity of $3.47.
For those using up to 100 kWh and previously paying a bill in the range  of $55.09, he said they would see an increase of $3.50. For those using  up to 150 kWh, an additional  $2.37 would be attached to their bills.

Worme explained that the increase was lower for those 150 kWh users than for customers using 100 kWh because the first block, which had a lower rate, had been extended by the Fair Trading Commission to customers  using up to 150 kWh.

Worme gave a comprehensive outline of the increases of the domestic service bills [see accompanying table], and said they reflected the customer, base and fuel charges. He noted that although the fuel charge would increase by  2.64 cents kWh, the base energy charge would go down by the same amount  and would not impact on consumers.

Worme indicated that customers would receive bills with an upgraded format that would be more comprehensive and explanatory  as to the charges they would incur.

He noted Barbados’ residential customer rates were among the lowest  in the Caribbean with the exception  of Trinidad and Tobago which had  an abundance of natural gas, and Guadeloupe, whose energy system  was tied to France.

BL&P’s managing director Peter Williams said many residential customers did not take advantage of the ten per cent discount for early payment. He stated that if people were not presently exploiting this incentive,  they should do so now since it would reduce their bills.

But Worme reiterated that “everybody will be paying more”, stressing that early payment would mitigate, and not eliminate increased payments. He added that no residential users would be paying less unless they utilised less electricity than they were accustomed to.

Questioned as to whether the prevailing adverse economic situation was the best time to hike power rates, Williams responded that electricity was essential to the economy and there was no country in the world where there was an unreliable electricity service and a vibrant economy. He said providing an excellent service was inextricably tied into the just over five per cent overall increase in rates.

“After 26 years I think that should be considered modest,” Williams said.