“Cutting Back on Air Conditioning is Simply Unrealistic”

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NASSAU , BAHAMAS – This Bahamas Power and Light customer says she believes it’s unfair for residents to be told to cut back on electricity use when they rely on air conditioning to stay cool and are already paying high utility bills.

BPL Customer

“I just feel like they wrong for that because we need those accommodations to keep us cool, like the air conditions, and the price is too sky high, especially for persons who cannot afford that. They should not be able to tell us to cut down certain things because we paying all this ludicrous amount of money, fees and stuff unnecessary.”

Resident Donna Rolle says she’s already cut back her electricity use as much as possible, so there’s simply nothing left to reduce, adding that the suggestion to conserve even more power shouldn’t have been raised in the first place.

Donna Rolle – BPL Customer

“I haven’t had a water heater in years now, so for them to say cut back on energy is impossible because I hardly have anything.”

Rolle then pointed to her electricity bills, saying they continue to climb even though her routine at home hasn’t changed.

Donna Rolle – BPL Customer

“I need somebody to tell me how BPL can say that my bill is now higher because I don’t conserve energy when I use the same exact stuff that they was giving me $98 for.”

And with the summer heat pressing in, John Munnings says keeping his home cool is simply non-negotiable.

John Munnings – BPL Customer

“You would expect for it… you need your AC, man. For God’s sake, man, Jobeth, get it right. You need the AC.”

Meanwhile, Margaret Bain says that if she’s paying her electricity bills, she should have the freedom to use her appliances as she sees fit, without worrying about the power grid failing her.

Margaret Bain – BPL Customer

“After a hard day’s work and you paying your bills, coming to a hot house, you don’t have to tell people to cut off or cut on their air condition because that is their right to do since they paying the bill at the end of the month.”

Some customers say they’re even considering breaking away from the grid altogether, turning to solar power as a way to escape rising electricity costs and repeated calls from BPL and Bahamas Grid Company to cut back on their energy use.

BPL Customer

“Honestly, no. If all of us paying, literally why we have to answer to them because our bill keep going up. At the end of the day, what’s the point of continually paying if we have to submit to their rules? Honestly, I feel as though everybody should kind of go off the grid, build a little enclosure on top of their roof and do the solar thing. But you know, it’s hard to beat the heat.”