NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Small businesses in New Providence are losing sales, operating hours and, in some cases, perishable products as prolonged power outages continue to disrupt operations, with one small business advocate warning that many business owners remain “at the mercy of Bahamas Power and Light (BPL)” and urging the utility to resolve its reliability issues sooner rather than later.
Mark A. Turnquest, principal of Mark A Turnquest Training and Consulting, who works closely with convenience stores, clothing boutiques, electronics retailers and other service providers, said the recent blackouts have forced some businesses to close early while others have struggled to serve customers, process transactions and protect perishable goods because of extended power interruptions.
Pointing to Sunday’s outage which affected a significant portion of New Providence Turnquest noted that one of his clients was forced to close early after power was lost at a location that did not have a backup generator.
“That was one mess,” he said. “They had to close early because the power went off.”
He noted that while some businesses have invested in generators and energy management strategies, many smaller operators simply cannot afford the equipment or the ongoing maintenance costs associated with keeping backup systems operational.
“Most of my clients who could afford it already have an energy strategy together,” he said. “Some have generators and energy efficiency measures in place.. But the problem is when the power is off for 10 hours and even more.”
Turquest noted that electricity supply disruption for those without a backup generator affects every aspect of business operations, from processing payments to serving customers.
“Customers just walk away because you can’t serve them,” he said. “Everything depends on electricity. In the stores, the cash registers aren’t working properly, people want receipts and you can’t process transactions.”
He noted that retailers selling perishable goods are also taking financial losses.
“When items like ice cream or milk spoil, you can’t do anything about that,” he said. “That’s money gone.”
Turnquest said the financial burden extends beyond spoiled products.
“You lose sales,” he said. “Most of these businesses are renting their locations. You still have to pay rent even if you couldn’t open because the power was off. You can’t tell your landlord you lost sales because of a blackout.”
He said the situation leaves many entrepreneurs with little choice but to wait for power to be restored.
“In reality, the customer is at the mercy of BPL,” he said. “There’s really nothing you can do if the power is gone and you don’t have backup generation.”
Turnquest said restaurants and smaller food establishments without generators are likely facing even greater challenges, particularly during extended outages.
“I don’t deal with a lot of restaurants, but I can only imagine what they’re going through,” he said. “The smaller restaurants without generators are in trouble.”
He said repeated blackouts are driving away customers and creating uncertainty for businesses already operating on tight margins.
“Everybody is scrambling and hoping BPL’s equipment doesn’t keep failing,” he said. “There’s no strategy you can use to keep the lights on when the power goes off.”
Calling for urgent improvements to the country’s electricity supply, Turnquest said businesses cannot continue absorbing the losses associated with prolonged outages.
“We want BPL to fix the problem sooner rather than later,” he said.
Energy, Utilities and Aviation Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis said in a statement that the Government recognizes the hardship caused by the recent power outages across New Providence and is focused on strengthening the country’s electricity system. The Minister said BPL’s technical teams worked to restore service following a major fault at the Blue Hills Power Station, while acknowledging the need for faster and clearer communication during major disruptions. The Minister added that work is ongoing to improve generation, grid stability, renewable energy integration and long-term resilience, with a more comprehensive update on the energy sector expected on Thursday.
