BEC announced that the fuel surcharge will be 10.3676 cents per kilowatt hour, compared to 9.2901 cents in May, which was the lowest the fuel surcharge was since October 2005.
The 10.3676 cents this June compares to 6.6486 cents in June 2005, and 4.6237 cents in February 2005.
One again, BEC is explaining that electricity bills are made up of the basic rate, which is constant and has not changed since October 2004, and the fuel surcharge, which is based on the price of petroleum in the international market and is calculated monthly using a fixed formula.
In the House of Assembly on Monday, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Leslie Miller, formerly the Minister of Trade and Industry, said BEC’s fuel cost for fiscal year 2005/2006 was $164,419,000 compared to $82,519,000 for fiscal year 2002/2003.
“The impact of this was an increase in the fuel surcharge which all of us had to pay,” Minister Miller said. “I pay my electricity bill at my home so I feel the pain just like all other consumers.”
He said the average cost to the consumers for fuel surcharge last year was $178.93 for low income households; $894.63 for middle income households; and $1,789.25 for upper middle income households.
For hotels, the average fuel surcharge for hotels with 50 to 100 rooms was $244,600; it was $377,115 for hotels with 200 to 300 rooms; and $1,722,255 for hotels with 500 to 1,000 rooms.
“This is for fuel surcharge only, and these amounts had to be paid along with the regular electricity charge that normally applies,” he said.
Minister Miller reported that in October 2004 BEC recovered $4.9 million from the consumers in fuel surcharge. By September 2005, he said, this amount had increased to $12 million.
Minister Miller revealed the figures while contributing to debate on the 2006/2007 budget debate. He was also pushing again for the Bahamas to join the Venezuela-sponsored Petrocaribe oil deal.
He said energy costs would continue to go up unless something was done about them.
BEC General Manager Kevin Basden has continued to urge consumers to put in place conservation measures to help reduce their energy costs.
In an earlier interview, he told the Bahama Journal that high fuel costs weren’t just a burden on consumers, but were also a burden on the corporation.
“It’s a tremendous burden for the corporation because in fact we pay for the fuel costs and other factors upfront,” he said at the time.
“There are also certain taxes we have to pay from which there is no recovery so it is a tremendous burden to the corporation. It directly impacts our cash flow and that’s why we are concerned what customers are now having to pay; it’s what we’re now having to pay.”
The following are tips from the website of Earth 911, an American private-public sector coalition that provides environmental information.
For the home:
1. Turn off non-essential lights and appliances. The electricity generated by fossil fuels for a single home puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars.
2. Avoid running large appliances such as washers, dryers, and electric ovens during peak energy demand hours from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
3. Close shades and blinds at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows. This also applies during the day for warm climates.
4. Buy Energy Star appliances, products and lights.
For business:
1. Turn off all unnecessary lights, especially in unused offices and conference rooms and turn down remaining lighting levels where possible.
2. Set computers, monitors, printers, copiers and other business equipment to their energy saving feature and turn them off at the end of the day.
3. Minimize energy usage during peak demand hours from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
4. Buy Energy Star appliances, products, and lights.
5. Consider placing outdoor signs on a timer so they only run until 1:00 am, saving electricity during non-peak hours.
Tips for kids and teachers:
1. Choose an energy monitor for your classroom every week who will make sure that energy is being used properly.
2. At home, hold a ribbon up to the edges of windows and doors. If it blows, you’ve found a leak. Tell your parents.
3. When you leave the room, turn off the light.
By: Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
