BVIEC defends disconnections amid electricity bill crisis
General Manager of the BVI Electricity Corporation, Dr Neil Smith.
BVI Electricity Corporation General Manager Dr Neil Smith has defended the company’s decision to disconnect delinquent customers, saying the notices relate to older debts rather than the sharply increased electricity bills issued this month.
Smith addressed the issue after a reporter asked whether BVIEC would withdraw disconnection notices as residents struggled with higher August bills.
“The disconnections that we have this month are for monies owed last month. They have nothing to do with these high, increasing electricity bills,” Smith stated.
He said the affected accounts were at least 60 days overdue, with some carrying debts for longer periods.
Smith acknowledged that BVIEC operates as a government-owned entity but said the corporation must still collect payments for the electricity it supplies.
“You can’t expect to continuously, habitually continue to owe a business that is providing service and you’re not expecting to support it,” Smith stated.
He apologised to customers who may have received an unsympathetic response from BVIEC representatives when discussing overdue accounts but maintained that the corporation could not indefinitely defer collection.
“If BVIEC is in any way unsympathetic when they approach, you or have a conversation with you in terms of delinquency, I apologise for that. But what I can’t apologise for is that we have to collect at some point,” Smith stated.
The disconnection controversy comes as residents and businesses face bills reflecting an exceptional increase in the cost of fuel purchased during July. BVIEC previously said the higher August bills did not result from an increase in electricity rates or the recently approved adjustment to the fuel subsidy for consumption above 1,500 kilowatt-hours.
The fuel-price increase followed the end of the government’s three-month emergency subsidy programme in May. The programme provided $1 million monthly, with the final relief appearing on bills issued in June.
The government has since announced a credit for the August bills and a subsidy for September. Smith said BVIEC would apply the credit directly to customers’ accounts, reducing the amount due even if the printed bill showed the original figure.
Smith said BVIEC would work with customers experiencing financial difficulty but expressed concern about those who repeatedly fail to pay.
“We understand that some people have it more difficult than others, yes, and we’ll work with you to try to ease that blow,” Smith stated. “But, you know, what we tend to get a bit put off about is when people are habitually delinquent.”
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Not sure how we justify discriminatory disconnections. Are all the Government Offices and Departments cut off????
I keep reading that they owe $millions.
Why are they not disconnected.
Collect there firsts before any more disconnections of the VI people.
This is ridiculous.
He has a heart of stone it seems
Dont leave out the Chairman and Financial Controller.
A lot of those older bills were put on the landlord to pay for tenants when the bill before the hurricane was in the tenant’s name.
lies
A lot of those older bills were put on the landlord to pay for tenants when the bill before the hurricane was in the tenant’s name.
The BVI Electricity Corporation needs an official forensic Audit from an overseas firm. All we see is a lot of covering each other’s backs.
Does the Government owe the Corporation and was there bad spending and mishandling of funds?
Yet our very own government that we sustain with our tax money are delinquent by years on some electricity bills. How is this accounted for in the good Doctor’s response?
Now they’ll cut your power to force payment of water bill.
The only thing the BVIEC is efficient at is billing and disconnecting. They expect perfect payment from the customer while supplying a patchy service.
BVIEC hired him for a reason, he knows how to …. This innocent looking guy is a pro.
When you want service you need to be responsible and pay.
Neil for Premier !