Gov’t saves consumers nearly $500K in December electricity bills
Consumers may have collectively saved nearly half-a-million dollars through the government’s efforts to subsidise electricity bills during the Christmas period.
The government announced last year that it would subsidise half of the fuel surcharge component for the electricity bills of all domestic consumers for December 2023.
A recent Cabinet decision revealed that amount to be roughly $492,000.
However, the government said once the cost is reconciled this month, if the actual cost exceeds the estimated amount, then the government will cover the difference.
The Cabinet statement said if the cost is lower than the estimated amount, then the BVI Electricity Corporation will reimburse the difference.
Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn previously argued that the fuel surcharge component on electricity bills has become more burdensome, especially for businesses in the territory.
“One of the challenges, particularly many persons are facing, and one of the concerns persons have expressed to me, is the issue of high food costs and the issue of electricity and the fuel surcharge. It seems to be stifling many families and businesses within this territory,” Penn stated at a press conference in October last year.
Penn chided the government at the time for not intervening in the matter and not proposing any new measures or policies to help curb the fuel surcharge issues faced by consumers.
The lawmaker said at the time that governments have traditionally borne the added burden created by the fuel surcharge and have eased the fuel cost burden that is now being passed on to consumers through policy measures, both in their electricity bills and at the gas pump.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Real question is how much did Government charge up in electricity bills in December, and what actually did it ‘pay’ into BVIEC? That’s what we the people want to know.
How about also letting us the people know the state of the grid, issues with production, and monies being allocated to be sure there is no catastrophic failure/s.
Even a blind man can see that BVIEC and our production facilities has now gone way beyond any logical production/failure point, never mind the archaic grid system we have!
Gen sets like the ones this territory requires don’t just get bought straight off the shelf and ‘plugged in’!
Sooooooo many worries just swept under the rug!
What really did Government pay because the bill so still high.
pure bs again
Onle there heads make to where hats bull s**t.
How much does the government owe BVIEC in unpaid bills?
This must be a mistake because I did not see a reduction in December.
Thanks for the $12 off on my $85.00 light bill. Enough to buy bread and eggs
Well I guess that I was forgotten because my bill was higher in December than it was in October and November. January bill was just about $3 lower than December bill. Was that my subsidy? Just asking. What I have to say is that these people think that they can feed intelligent people bull s**t and we won’t know the difference. Well for you degenerates information we smell your s**t, so don’t try it. Lord please help us get rid of these morons.
Why everybody still saying they cant tell that they got a subsidy for December?
Government ain’t do nothing , my bill still the same, i haven’t seen any change as they claim. come on lets stop with the game.stop playing people like a fool.please go back and check the records and you will see it never pass on to so many.
They spent YOUR tax dollars to pay down YOUR electric bill. I can’t see the savings.
This is crazy because I have not see a difference on my bill. Where did that money go to? Some serious questions need to be asked. When the breaks were given in the past, I could see the savings but this time around, it seems to be a scam. Somebody needs to fix it.
They make a mistake, nothing was paid by government stop lying.
$500,000 to 15,000 households is $33 per household….and BVI have less than 15,000 households (that was a high pitch). It will be hard to see and feel $25 reduction on your bill smh