P.U.C. makes decisions on B.E.L. approved rates

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P.U.C. makes decisions on B.E.L. approved rates #441854 07/03/12 06:05 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,398 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	P.U.C. makes final decisions on B.E.L. approved rates The Public Utilities Commission announced a final decision regarding the Annual Review Proceeding for Belize Electricity Limited for 2012. While there will not be an increase in electricity rates, the government-owned utility company shuffled and reconfigured some expenses. On April second, B.E.L. made a submission in which changes to its list of costs, as well as tariffs for commercial customers were requested from the P.U.C. A preliminary decision was issued a month later and that conclusion was then challenged, giving way for the appointment of Cedric Flowers, an independent expert, to review and make necessary recommendations to the commission. B.E.L.'s proposal did not explicitly request any rate adjustments; it did, however, seek to eliminate certain fees and charges, increase some and establish others. According to the P.U.C.'s Director of Tariffs, rates that were approved in the last Full Tariff Review Proceedings will remain unaffected. Dr. Leroy Almendarez, Dir., Tariffs & Administration, P.U.C. Leroy Almendarez "The commission approves no adjustments to any previously approved regulated values, mean electricity rates and tariffs contained in the B.E.L. submitted 2011-2012 Full Tariff Review Proceedings. So those that were set in the F.T.R.P. they were not adjusted and [the P.U.C.] hereby orders B.E.L. to continue to levy the said previously approved B.E.L. tariffs in respect of the relevant electricity services it is licensed to provide. So, per kilowatt hour it is 41.3 percent. The Belize Electricity Limited may, subject to the conditions of the license, levy such tariffs, fees and charges for the provision of electricity services not covered in the schedules or in any final decisions issued for any previous review proceedings contained in the service agreement. B.E.L. has a license and so they are serving certain services that are supposed to be provided, okay. So that's the extent of the final decision." Channel 5

Re: P.U.C. makes decisions on B.E.L. approved rates Marty #441855 07/03/12 06:07 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,398 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	But new surcharges to be implemented Derek Davis In its submission, B.E.L. also requested to have its customers classified based on average monthly consumption. Those using less than two thousand, five hundred kilowatt hours will now fall under the Commercial One category while those consuming more will be considered Commercial Two. New surcharges, according to Derek Davis, were not included in previous Annual Review Proceeding; nonetheless, B.E.L. has submitted fees for pole rentals and reconnection as a result of meter tampering. Derek Davis, Engineer, P.U.C. "The first fee that is a new fee is a bit down [on the schedule]; it's called reconnection of pole, bracket, disconnection for non-payment or tampering for a hundred dollars. That's a new fee. And then another one is replacement of meter due to service/meter tampering. That's another new fee but you have to look at the asterisks besides that because it says that that can only be applied together with other applicable fees etc., after summary conviction for meter tampering. So B.E.L. cannot just levy that fee, they have to take the person to court and all of that. Then the next one is the pole rental fee. In previous A.R.P.s and so on B.E.L. did not submit this so they now have submitted this and this is not what they asked for but it's a new fee, in other words, for charging TV and telecoms people rental for using their poles." Channel 5