By Breaking Belize News Staff: Belize Electricity Limited has acknowledged that complaints over unusually high electricity bills have spiked beyond what the company normally sees at this time of year, but maintains that it has found no evidence of a widespread billing malfunction.
BEL Executive Chairman Lynn Young said the utility normally sees increased complaints during the hotter months, but conceded that this year’s numbers have been particularly high.
Young attributed much of the increase to unusually hot temperatures, saying air conditioners, refrigerators, water pumps and other electrical equipment can consume significantly more power even when customers believe they are using the appliances for the same amount of time.
He estimated that an air conditioner operating under substantially hotter outdoor conditions could consume 50 to 60 percent more electricity while being used for the same number of hours and at the same thermostat setting.
BEL also acknowledged that its smart-meter replacement programme has resulted in sudden increases for some customers. The company says that where an old meter had been estimated or under-read, changing the meter can result in a one-time catch-up of previously unrecorded consumption.
Young said BEL has investigated complaints received so far and has found explanations in individual cases, including increased consumption, arrears, delayed bank payments, meter-reading mistakes and meter change-outs.
The utility says it remains willing to investigate individual complaints and can install an electricity-use analyzer at a home to determine whether appliances or other equipment are responsible for unusual consumption.
The post BEL admits high-bill complaints are unusually high, but blames heat and meter change-outs appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Belize Electricity Limited has acknowledged that complaints over unusually high electricity bills have spiked beyond what the company normally sees at this time of year, but maintains that it has found no evidence of a widespread billing malfunction. BEL Executive Chairman Lynn Young said the utility normally sees increased complaints
The post BEL admits high-bill complaints are unusually high, but blames heat and meter change-outs appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.