BVIEC fearless, will even turn off the Premier — Dr Wheatley
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has suggested that one of the factors responsible for the BVI Electricity Corporation’s (BVIEC’s) success as a statutory body is its fearlessness.
“Electricity will collect more revenue than Water and Sewerage,” Premier Wheatley said in the House of Assembly (HOA) recently. “One of the most important reasons why Electricity will collect more is they not afraid to turn you off.”
He continued: “They will turn off the Premier. They’ll turn off the magistrate. They’ll turn off… I don’t know if they’ll turn off their own family member. They probably turn off their own family member. I’ll tell you this, you have to try hard to get them not to turn off government.”
The Premier was at the time debating the Water & Sewerage Act, 2022 which seeks to convert the Water and Sewerage Department (WSD) into a statutory body to improve its efficiency.
Premier Wheatley said some persons have questioned why the government has moved to make the WSD a statutory body, and he argued that it was important to do so for several reasons.
The WSD has reportedly suffered significant losses over the years, largely due to leakages and other unaccounted-for water losses; with some officials pegging these losses at more than 30 per cent of the agency’s annual production.
This issue was further compounded by billing losses, whereby revenue was reportedly not being received for nearly 40 per cent of the water that was used.
Dr Wheatley, who also serves as the territory’s Finance Minister, disclosed during the debate that the BVIEC is owed some amount of money by the government, but did not indicate that figure at the time.
“Government owe Electricity money and if you do not pay them, they will turn you off. And I don’t want to be embarrassed, to be in my office and in a meeting and then the lights go out. They’ll turn you off. When they turn you off, people go and pay,” the Premier said.
He also praised the entity for its efficiency in being able to effect remote disconnections of delinquent customers and said they are seeking more efficient ways of doing so.
“They don’t even have to come by your house now. They want more efficient ways of turning you off. They could just sit down in their office now, press a button and all of a sudden you see your TV turn off, fan turns off [and] you’re looking outside to see the little jeep… the little orange jeep,” he said.
Dr Wheatley noted that the electricity company will also charge at least what it costs for it to operate, in addition to its other overhead costs, such as staffing.
The Premier further contended that the BVIEC has a greater degree of independence in making its own financial decisions and is not tied to any central government system, and does not need to go through the Financial Secretary or Attorney General like government agencies, since the entity has its own legal counsel.
He also pointed to the hiring practices of government bodies as another factor, noting that it sometimes takes as much as six months to hire staff members.
“Sometimes it takes you a long time to get somebody hired, right? You trying to get somebody hired — all of us know it. You’re there six months, a year, two years trying to get somebody hired. An organisation cannot function like that,” Dr Wheatley said. “So for these reasons a statutory body is more appropriate for something that wants to function more in a business-like way.”
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Its easy to be fearless when you have a monopoly of an essential service. Some might say they are overcharging bullies.
We need competition in energy provision.
Perhaps we should have a solar and wind generator company that competes with BVIEC. Private please, not run by the government.
The distribution system , the wires and cables , should be owned by an independent company.
That is the system in the UK and many other countries.
If water and sewage turned you off you might never notice. In most places, it’s hard to get any service.
“One of the most important reasons why Electricity will collect more is they not afraid to turn you off.”
This should not come out of the mouth of the Premier!!!!
Have some humility some people do fall on hard times….this should be a last resort.
Woe be onto the water consumers if that lady is in charge of a statutory body!! They only know how to charge you enormous water bills (estimated) and you have no one to complain to. Customer service does not exist. Although energy price when up, water cost more that electricity. It has been two years since I have been trying to get them to correct a mix up they did when they installed some new meters. Only one person can correct errors on your bill and he never does. I have to give them credit for collecting more disconnection fees than electricity Corp. They charge you $20 and they disconnect you eight days after they issue a bill.
Imagine if their motto was reliability and sustainability. When my power goes out several times a week due to their faulty transmission I don’t need to be reminded of their draconian bill collection practices.
People and businesses are suffering due to light bills increasing as much as 300% and this is what this f**king idiot has to say about it. We are in good hands.
We need a longer term plan that encompasses reliability and sustainability rather then collection practices.
After they collect the money its spend on brand new jeeps to look good in public while the pockwood pond staff suffer with little pay and stink smoke
Is the BVIEC still private/public? Why haven’t they published an annual report since 2018? We know the fuel suppliers care only about their investors, but what about accountability from the BVIEC?
As for WSD, maybe there would be less ‘wastage’ if calls about leaks running down hillsides had a response time of less than two days- maybe a regularly published ‘leak hotline’ (or is that too progressive?).
Does anybody know how to calculate fuel surcharge?
“The WSD has suffered significant losses largely due to leakages and other unaccounted-for water losses”
Lets form a statutory body. Sorted
The biggest debtor to the BVIEC continues to be the BVI Government that runs bills endlessly! I do not see BVIEC shutting them down. But us residents, they cut teh power teh same day your bill becomes past due. How’s that for your government. Do as I say, not as I do!
Where’s the transparency on teh annual accounts? COI review this? We get charged extra because BVIEC has to cover the Government’s unpaid bills and we still have to pay our own, or get cut off.
Quite insensitive to make such comments about electricity given the 300% increase in bills.
Also, if the WSD does not provide invoices when asked monthly, how is this the fault of the customer who is upholding their due diligence.
Please make sense Premier
We need relief from these HIGH ELECTRICITY BILLS from chatting piss! They are killing us Mr Premier! Do Something with Sense to help the people of this territory. Like addressing this high fuel charge matter!
What kind of … person we have in place of Premier that would deduce this. How about the fact that electricity rates are higher than water and more pervasive in every aspect of existence on an island. We don’t use water 24/7 but we do use electricity and power. How about improving services connected with water and sewerage in order to increase revenue and minimize waste. Slow Wande is a real …
Well BVIEC is now charging a reconnection fee even if they did not disconnect you.
No no the Water and sewerage suffer because of poor management, lack of money and resources. You should asked both NDP and VIP where the money gone. They are the only ones that can answer that question. They need new staff the staffs are very lazy unethical impolite no customer service training and have no manners they all need to go from head Captian down to crew.
You all need fearless people eorking in police, customs, prison and immigration. Talk that. You hear worrying bout current and it has those from all over thd place who steal everyday.
What exactly does N. Wheatley mean by describing BVIEC as a success? It’s a monopoly that charges what it wants. There is little to no evidence that they care about their customers. It’s already expensive but we also have the ever changing fuel surcharge for which no warning or explanation is ever given. There does not seem like there is any effort to control this (ever heard of buying fuel futures?). The quality of electricity is bad (I’ve measured 95V to 130 V) which leads to problems with appliances failing. It often goes out leading to surges when it comes back on, so we all have to buy surge protectors to try to save our electronics. There does not seem to be any plan for improvement in generation capacity in the future, which will no doubt be fossil fuel based.
Individuals are often penalized for being late by a day, whereas the BVI govt, the biggest user, is well in arrears. Why isn’t BVIEC shutting govt off? Youe expect people to believe they’d shut it off for govt. officials? Please sit down, inform yourself and engage brain before putting mouth into gear with such pronouncements about BVIEC’s so called success?,
Meanwhile all solar equipment continues to be subjec to the maximum import tariff.
And a fee if paid late, before the disconnection period…
That is so true
One of the very highest prices for energy in the world.
No excuse for that and not a success.