Guardian ( Trinidad and Tobago )
17 October 2023 ( Page 8 )
Hot spell drives up electricity bills
CARISA LEE - SENIOR REPORTER CARISA.LEE@CNC3.CO.TT
Although the Regulated Industries Commission (RIC) has not yet
announced the date when it will present its review of rates for the T&T
Electricity Commission (T&TEC), some customers are already seeing
increases in their bills.
“We don’t have AC in this house but because of the intense heat in one
room, we will have three fans going,” said a Woodbrook resident who
asked to remain anonymous.
The woman said before the recent hot spells, her electricity bill used to be
under $1,000 but now it’s significantly over that.
“Having mortgage to pay and everything, if there is a further increase, I’m
not sure what we will do and even though in the evening I go around and I
say turn off the light, turn off the light, it still not really doing much,” she
said.
“It’s a struggle... I am always in debt.”
Another Woodbrook resident who also asked to remain anonymous, said
while the increase is necessary, now may not be the best time.
He said his electricity bill for April was $1,600 and it has increased by
approximately $300 since then. He hopes the rate increase is not more
than that.
A single mother from Curepe said her bill for August and September
totalled $1,500. She said the increase could be as a result of the household
using the air conditioners more due to the heat.
Another single mother, from Diego Martin, said the T&TEC rate increase
will be a strain on her income because she is already battling with weekly
increases in food prices and monthly expenses to send her children to
school.
“This increase will put a damn strain on us as their customers,” she said.
T&TEC Corporate Communications Manager Annabelle Brasnell yesterday
said there are ways to reduce electricity consumption, including increasing
the temperature on AC units by one or two degrees. She said with the heat,
customers can hang clothes outside instead of using a dryer and they can
switch light bulbs from incandescent to LED.
Brasnell also advised that customers ensure there were no leaks in their
plumbing if they have water pumps.
“The Minister of Public Utilities was on record in saying that there are
programmes in place to help the most vulnerable and I believe the powers
that be would continue to look at these programmes as we go forward,”
she explained.
In addition, there is a 35 per cent bill rebate that is automatic once
customers keep consumption under a certain level.
Brasnell said customers can also use T&TEC’s energy management
application to track their consumption and they can set a goal.
“We will send you an automatic notification when you’re at 50 per cent,
when you’re approaching 90 per cent and when you hit the target,” she
explained.
Last week, Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales said the RIC had
completed a review of electricity rates and make its findings public this
week.