Advocacy group says power company not listening to consumers over rate adjustment plan

Advocacy group says power company not listening to consumers over rate adjustment plan
Eddie Victor, president, Coalition of Concerned Citizens.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The head of a Grand Bahama advocacy group said yesterday accused the island’s power company of ignoring the pleas of its customers over rate adjustment plans.

Pastor Eddie Victor, head of the Coalition for Concerned Citizens, told Eyewitness News: “They’ve already milked the cow dry.

“There was “absolutely no justification” for any sort of rate adjustments proposed by the island’s power company. This island is still hurting and trying to recover.  What the power company is doing is all about their profits. They are trying to please their shareholders but are they listening to their customers. In the worst of times the company has been making money.”

Grand Bahama Power Company is justifying its proposed rate adjustments by claiming that it needs to increase annual base rate revenue by almost $5 million due to the impact of  recent hurricanes.

The GBPA said in its rate case application 2022-2024 posted on the website of its regulator, the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), said it needs to recover a $2.3m increase in insurance costs stemming from claims submitted over the damage inflicted by hurricanes Matthew and Dorian.

The coalition was launched in 2013.

Pastor Victor noted that the company is already set to recover its Hurricane Dorian through the new hurricane recovery charge which was added to consumer bills earlier this year and will continue through 2022-2024 if the rate proposal is approved as is by the GBPA.

“In the worst of times the company is making money. We already have a storm recovery charge on the bill. We can’t afford any more adjustments. This island is still hurting, it’s still trying to recover. Are they listening to their consumers? The government is saying they won’t support it, residential consumers won’t support it and the businesses won’t support it. You’ve already milked the cow dry and you’re still trying to get more,” said Victor.