By Breaking Belize News Staff: Prime Minister John Briceño says he shares the concerns of Belizeans who have reported sharp increases in their electricity bills and has instructed that the matter be reviewed with Belize Electricity Limited and the Public Utilities Commission.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Briceño said he is concerned both as a citizen and as Prime Minister after reports from consumers that their latest bills have increased significantly, in some cases allegedly doubling or tripling.
Briceño said he has already spoken with Minister of Public Utilities Michel Chebat and has asked for discussions involving BEL Executive Chairman Ambassador Lynn Young and the PUC. He said officials are expected to meet with the media, possibly as early as Monday, to further explain what is happening with electricity bills.
The concerns come as BEL implements the new Cost of Power Adjustment, or COPA, on bills beginning this month. The PUC-approved mechanism allows a monthly adjustment of up to 1.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. BEL says its actual cost of purchasing power over the previous six months was 4.3 cents per kilowatt-hour above the reference cost incorporated into rates.
The PUC has stressed that COPA is being tested under a regulatory “sandbox” for the July 2026 to June 2027 tariff period and is not a permanently approved automatic adjustment. BEL must make monthly submissions to the regulator before the charge can be applied, and the social-rate customer category is excluded.
Briceño said the government recognizes that electricity costs are contributing to wider concerns about affordability and the cost of living.
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By Breaking Belize News Staff: Prime Minister John Briceño says he shares the concerns of Belizeans who have reported sharp increases in their electricity bills and has instructed that the matter be reviewed with Belize Electricity Limited and the Public Utilities Commission. Speaking to the media on Friday, Briceño said he is concerned both as
The post PM Briceño says he is concerned over sharp increases in electricity bills; Meeting with BEL and PUC scheduled appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.