Hello, I am looking at purchasing a property in C.C. and was wondering if anyone could tell me what the average costs are for electricity? It is likely I would only be staying there 6 (winter) months of every year. I have heard electricity can be very expensive so I would like to know monthly costs on average and even if there are other energy alternatives that some are using on the island. Also, can anyone supply me with names of qualified people who can add another room to an existing house? Plus do other odd fix-it jobs?

For anyone who lives there, how long have you been living down there and what are the pros and cons? I have been to Belize three times now and C.C. is still my favorite destination. I am looking at a specific property to buy for a vacation home (and rental) and then to retire in. It has a septic and well water. I will be coming down soon to do a final inspection and then proceed.

Thanks!!!!

Diesel power is about $.25 (US) per KWH. Average price of electricity is about $.11 (US)in the states. I have looked into solar/wind technology that can dramaticly reduce the dependence on conventional means. It is a higher investment up front, but will pay deividends. I have a vacation/rental property on CC and price of electriciy is also one of my largest concerns.

what did you find out about the wind?

i have a house on AC that i need to power up, i talked to BEL and they want 15 grand for 5 poles and a transformer to reach my house. im thinking of taking that money and going to a combo package of solar/wind/and butane home stand by generator.

fish

A.C has absolutely nothing to do with Caye caulker..we are on a generator, and A.C is on a cable to Mexico. and seems they do not pay Mexico for the electricity so I have heard.So will the lights go out?? We have a two story house ,small but 2 refrigerators..T.V. almost always running ceiling fans...our bill is about $35 U.S a month.
If you have a golf cart to charge..air conditioning..walk in freezer.. you could be looking at $150 to $200 a month.

Well I can live with under $50 a month! Someone I know on C.C. got a bill for $200 and they don't use air conditioning so I was a bit put off by that. It costs an average of $50 a month in Canada on average for lights and fridge and stove, and sometimes fans, for a small two bedroom so it must be close to the same rate. This does not include heat for which we use propane.

I've seen a few forums on the internet of those exploring solar and wind power and some are doing it.

I can't imagine why more places I've stayed in on C.C. didn't put bars on their windows so guests could keep windows open with fans. They advised us to keep the windows locked up at night when sleeping for security. So I've been forced to use air conditioning when it was cool enough to use a fan, if anything at all, so it gave me the impression electricity was cheap. And I don't like air conditioning! Then my friend got this huge $200 bill. They have a small cafe but no air conditioning. So I was confused.

If anyone else can share their monthly energy costs and also alternative ideas, that would be grand.

HUH???? BEL isn't paying Mexico for the electricity we are using? Where have you heard that?

Electricity on Ambergris Caye currently runs $.52 BZ per KWH. That includes the GST. Based on all the power outages we have had recently, the rate will go up soon. Your bill could be anything depending on what you do or don't run. Air conditioning, dryers, stoves will all cost you a lot. Restaurant equipment will also run up the bill which may be your friend's problem. I would guess that to maintain any kind of life style here would cost around $150 to $200 US for power. That being said, you can get by with a light bulb and a hot plate and just enjoy being here.

I've been looking into both solar and wind in anticipation of building on CC. A small wind turbine with a capacity of about 1.8kw (Skystream 3.7) will run you about $5500 in the US. Slightly smaller 1kw about $3000. Solar is comparable, I'm going to try a combination of wind and solar. The wind is pretty reliable, the sky isn't always sunny. Batteries are extra. I'm also not sure whether you could tie into the gird and sell it to BEL. Even in the States, its not always possible. You'd also have to pay shipping and duty in the neighborhood of 30%. Power ain't cheap .

Electricity on Ambergris Caye currently runs $.52 BZ per KWH. That includes the GST. Based on all the power outages we have had recently, the rate will go up soon. Your bill could be anything depending on what you do or don't run. Air conditioning, dryers, stoves will all cost you a lot. Restaurant equipment will also run up the bill which may be your friend's problem. I would guess that to maintain any kind of life style here would cost around $150 to $200 US for power. That being said, you can get by with a light bulb and a hot plate and just enjoy being here.

My electricity bill runs about US$45 a month and I run a fairly big house for here, making no attempt to save money. The folks at the South Point are all on green power.It costs about US$5000 for them to get set up.This cost has declined for them through the years as the solar cells have gone down.
Which lifestyle costs US$150-200 a month in power? It would be very hard for me to burn four times the power- even with a cart.
Your $200 bill friend might consider tracking the usage for a couple of months.
After hurricane Keith many of us had no power for months and we still kept getting bills of around US$40. They told me they had read my meter and that was what it said.My meter was at the bottom of 100 tons of trash in the dump at the time.The meter reader had long ago set the process on auto pilot while he sat home and drank beer. He forget to quit with the fake readings when the lights went out for two months.