NASSAU, BAHAMAS — An energy advocate has joined the growing wave of public outrage over soaring Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) bills, calling the latest charges “absolutely insane” and questioning the utility’s billing accuracy amid reports of reduced usage.
Debby Deal, former head of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce’s Energy and Environment Division, said her most recent electricity bill remained inexplicably high despite significantly lower consumption.
“What I don’t understand is my consumption is higher than it has ever been,” Deal said. “It just doesn’t make sense. I’m using less power than before and yet the bill is just as high. That does not add up.”
She said she suspects BPL may be relying on estimates rather than actual meter readings.
“They have to be guesstimating,” Deal continued. “There’s no way my power bill could be that high because there’s no way we’re using that much power. It’s absolutely insane.”
Deal said she has heard similar concerns echoed widely by others, adding, “Everybody I speak to is saying the same thing—that there’s no way they’re using that much power. You go on Facebook and it’s all there—the ranting and raving. People are angry and confused.”
Amid the public backlash BPL has cited increased fuel costs and higher consumption due to summer temperatures as reasons for increased electricity bills. Still, many consumers like Deal say those explanations don’t align with their actual usage patterns.
Opposition Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis recently echoed the public frustration, blasting the Government’s handling of electricity costs as “a never-ending nightmare.”
To ease the burden, the Government introduced a taxpayer-funded Summer Energy Rebate last month, reducing the fuel charge by 1.1 cents per KWh. However, consumers say the slight discount has been wiped out by overall usage increases and higher base costs.
