NIA CHARLESTOWN NEV1S – The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) does not intend to reintroduce the fuel surcharge on domestic consumers’ electricity bills, says Minister with responsibility for Public Utilities, the Honourable Premier Mark Brantley.
Premier Brantley, Minister of Finance in the NIA, addressed the issue at a recent press conference.
“We had removed the fuel surcharge and there is not an intention to reintroduce the fuel surcharge, but we do recognize that our base rates have not been adjusted for many years and so there will be an effort to look at that and to make some adjustments,” he said.
While delivering the feature address at the Nevis Division of the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CIC) Quarterly Luncheon on March 05, 2024, the Premier confirmed that the Nevis Electricity Company (NEVLEC) rates will be adjusted.
“We will this year be assessing our rates for electricity and again looking at the fuel surcharge subsidies.
“I should tell you that we responded to the cries of ordinary Nevisians about the cost of electricity and we removed the fuel surcharge from domestic consumers. It has led to significant savings [for consumers], but it has wreaked havoc on the government’s finances trying to sustain that. So we’re looking at seeing what we can do to share that cost a bit more.”
In September 2022 the NIA eliminated the fuel surcharge from residential NEVLEC bills, which accounted for a substantial portion of the overall monthly total (about 77 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), and capped the surcharge at 65 cents for commercial consumers.
To achieve these savings for Nevisians, the NIA has been assisting NEVLEC with a monthly subsidy of $ 2.5 million.
Premier Brantley said the assessment of the NEVLEC rates is ongoing and the general public will be advised of any proposed adjustments in due course.