By Zoila Palma: Many Belizeans have taken to social media to express their frustration and explain that they noticed higher than usual electricity bills.
But, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics and E-Governance, Leeroy Almendarez told 7News Belize that several factors may be contributing to the increases, including Belize’s dependence on imported power and household electricity usage.
Almendarez explained that the country imports more than half of its electricity from Mexico, leaving Belize vulnerable to external pricing.
Almendarez said the country does not have full control over electricity costs because of its reliance on imported energy.
“We import over 50 percent of our power from Mexico, over 50 percent and that’s quite a lot now do we control the prices on that? We don’t,” he said. He added, “Because we don’t control the prices and power is a pass through meaning whatever it’s purchased for that’s the power… that’s why these requests are made to the Public Utilities Commission.”
Almendarez said that the the Public Utilities Commission reviews electricity costs annually to determine how Belize Electricity Limited may recover expenses not passed directly to consumers.
The CEO also encouraged consumers to closely examine their electricity bills to better understand how charges are calculated.
Almendarez explained, “If you take a look at your light bill, you will see that you have different bands and it tells you what it costs just like when you go to buy to the store.” He noted that electricity rates vary depending on consumption levels, with separate charges applied to different usage bands reflected on monthly statements.
Almendarez stressed that increased consumption may be behind many of the higher bills being reported and advised residents to monitor electricity use inside their homes.
“For a bill to go from 100 to 700 you know that’s a stretch when you really think about it but again look at the consumption,” he said.
In addition, he warned that appliances and devices left plugged in continue using electricity, adding that consumers should also check for electrical leaks and review long-term usage patterns to identify possible causes of rising costs.
The post Public Utilities CEO says light bills higher due to consumption appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Many Belizeans have taken to social media to express their frustration and explain that they noticed higher than usual electricity bills. But, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics and E-Governance, Leeroy Almendarez told 7News Belize that several factors may be contributing to the increases, including Belize’s dependence
The post Public Utilities CEO says light bills higher due to consumption appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
