…up to 50% reduction in fuel surcharge
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ELECTRICITY consumers in St. Kitts received good news yesterday (Apr. 9) during the Budget Presentation concerning a Cabinet-approved initiative which would result in a reduction in the surcharge line of their electricity bills.
In his presentation, Minister of Public Works and Utilities and Deputy Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Earl Asim Martin announced that the initiative would realise a concession of up to 50 percent on fuel surcharge.
He said the Ministry of Energy, the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) and St. Kitts Electricity Company Limited (SKLEC) have been in consultation with a view to providing needed relief for consumers, and that a comprehensive analysis was conducted and a proposal forwarded to and accepted by Cabinet.
According to Dr. Martin, the arrangement would see residents who consume between 250 and 350 kilowatts of energy per month enjoying a 50 percent reduction in their fuel surcharge, and those consuming between 350 and 450 kilowatts would enjoy a 40 percent reduction.
Customers whose consumption sits between 450 and 500 kilowatts would benefit from a 30 percent fuel surcharge reduction, while consumers of between 500 and 700 kilowatts would realise a 20 percent dip in their fuel surcharge.
And a 10 percent decrease in the fuel surcharge would be the benefit of persons who consume between 700 and 1000 kilowatts per month.
The Deputy Prime Minister explained that the arrangement is not only aimed at providing some relief to electricity consumers, but also at promoting energy conservation which would lead to decreased dependency on fossil fuel.
Martin informed that as it stands, those who consume 0 to 200 kilowatts of energy per month pay no fuel surcharge. He however indicated that that bracket would be expanded to include an additional 50 kilowatts of energy.
In keeping with the government’s thrust to promote green energy production and use, Dr. Martin disclosed that an additional programme has been agreed to by the SIDF and the government regarding solar energy.
“And also linked to this programme, we have entered in an arrangement with the SIDF that we would be able to provide 100 percent financing for persons to be involved in their roof top solar panels. Once you would have gotten a roof top solar panel, it means you would have moved off of the relief that is being done in terms of the surcharge.”
