By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has submitted a formal rate case application to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) requesting an average 5.55-cent increase in the cost of electricity beginning January 1, 2026. The company says the adjustment is necessary to cover BZ$87.5 million in previously incurred energy supply costs between July 2023 and October 2025, as well as an additional BZ$20.9 million in projected costs expected between November 2025 and June 2026.
According to BEL, the proposed increase would help stabilize operations, ensure reliable electricity supply, and prepare for forecasted challenges during the first half of 2026. Those challenges include higher national energy demand during warmer, drier months; increased reliance on costlier generation sources such as gas turbines; deployment of temporary backup generation; and anticipated spikes in electricity import prices from CFE Mexico during peak consumption periods between April and July.
BEL proposes that the increase be spread over a two-year period, a measure the company says is intended to minimize sudden financial strain on households and businesses while still allowing it to maintain the national power grid and invest in necessary upgrades.
The utility provider emphasizes that even with the requested adjustment, Belize would continue to have the lowest electricity rates in the country and remain among the lowest in the Caribbean and Central America.
The PUC will now review the application under its required regulatory process. BEL says it will cooperate fully and keep customers updated on any developments.
The post Brace yourselves: electricity bills set to surge beginning January 1, 2026 appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has submitted a formal rate case application to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) requesting an average 5.55-cent increase in the cost of electricity beginning January 1, 2026. The company says the adjustment is necessary to cover BZ$87.5 million in previously incurred energy supply costs between
The post Brace yourselves: electricity bills set to surge beginning January 1, 2026 appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
