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| St.Kitts electricity Department needmust power station |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, FEBRUARY 22ND 2007 - The energy charge for electricity in St. Kitts is the lowest in the Eastern Caribbean including the sister island of Nevis.
Even when the energy charge and the fuel surcharge are combined St. Kitts is still the lowest among all the other Eastern Caribbean islands, except for Nevis, which does not have a fuel surcharge and where would be seven cents higher in St. Kitts than on Nevis.
Information obtained from the Ministry of Public Utilities indicates that whereas residents on St. Kitts are paying 37 EC cents per unit for energy charge, residents in Nevis, pay 51 cents; Anguilla, 64 cents; Antigua, 65 cents; Dominica, 68 cents; Grenada, 73 cents; St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 78 cents; Antigua and Barbuda, 85 cents and Montserrat, one dollar and two cents.
Comparing the cost of electricity between Nevis and St. Kitts, residents on Nevis, pay 51 cents for the first 50 units compared to 32 cents in St.
Kitts; the next 75 units is charged at 49 cents in Nevis, compared to 35 cents in St. Kitts and above 125 units, it is 37 cents on St. Kitts and 47 cents on Nevis.
Residents in St. Kitts are also paying the second lowest in the Eastern Caribbean for the fuel surcharge, which was introduced last November.
For the fuel surcharge, the people of Anguilla pay ten cents per unit; St.
Kitts, 21 cents per unit; St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 28 cents; Dominica, 33 cents; St. Lucia, 34 cents; Grenada, 37 cents and Antigua, 46 cents per unit. There is no fuel charge in Nevis and Montserrat.
When the energy charge and the fuel surcharge are combined, the electricity consumer in St. Kitts pays 58 cents, compared to Anguilla, where it is 74 cents; St. Lucia, 99 cents; Dominica, $1.01; Montserrat, $1.02; St. Vincent, $1.06; Grenada, $1.10 and Antigua, $1.31.
Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Erasmus Williams encouraged consumers on St. Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday to conserve fuel and energy as the world market price continues to fluctuate and over which "we in St.
Kitts and Nevis, the Caribbean and other non-producing nations have no control."
He said that over the next few weeks, the Communications Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Utilities will provide tips to the general public on how to conserve energy in the home, office and cars.
