BHTA president says association has submitted “discussion points.”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Hotel industry stakeholders are set to meet with executives of Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) next week to discuss the industry’s concerns as well as suggestions for lowering the cost of electricity, Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) president Robert ‘Sandy’ Sands said yesterday.
Sands said: “I can tell you that the industry has set up a meeting with the leadership of BPL. That meeting is taking place next week Monday. We have presented a number of discussion points with them and we are looking forward to that meeting taking place at that time.”
Sands added, “We will talk about the progress in terms of alternative energy formats etc. We will talk about the opportunities for looking at a number of the variables that impact the cost of electricity to our properties such as the peak demand charge and the fuel charge. We also will also speak about the reliability certainly with the family island properties going forward. I don’t want to prompt the discussion because they have welcomed our discussion and advocacy group.”
Sands said that the hotel sector represents some of BPL’s “top customers”, adding that the overwhelming majority of them are current on their utility payments. Sands also noted that electricity costs which vary based on consumption are the second largest cost within the sector next to labour.
Earlier this month BPL officials announced that electricity bills are set to increase next month. Customers using less than 800kWh will see an increase of two cents p/kWh, and those using more power will see an increase of 4.3 cents p/kWh.
Following that announcement, Sands said in a statement that tourism stakeholders had expressed “serious concerns” over the government’s approval for Bahamas Power and Light’s (BPL) to increase its fuel charge, adding that many were anxious and some were at a loss as to how they will be able to accommodate the increase in the cost of energy.
BPL has outlined a schedule of “phased increases” which, for consumers of over 800 kWh represents an increase from 10.5 cents per kWh to 14.8 cents per kWh effective October 1, 2022, to November 30, 2022; with an increase of 4.3 cents per quarter to arrive at a cost of 27.6 cents per kWh as of June 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023, before the rate begins to drop to 25 cents for September 1, 2023, to November 30, 2023.
