To bad we cant be like Grand Bahama and lock in fuel prices instead of getting beat on all the time.
I guess BPL/BEC or the Govt cant see how to save anything for the people
"Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC) clients are better placed to weather the impact, as that island’s utility does employ fuel hedging strategies as part of a strategy intended to hold energy rates at their current level until 2021"

True "hedging" woud include protecting ourselves from the varagies of the political and economic stranglehold the elite have on us. We can find the money, borrowing it to bail out our banks, and of the many other failed enterprises.
Yet, when it comes to sustainable business costs and our quality of life, or even being able to pay for the necessities of life, we cry poor mouth.
What is needed this week is a major commitment and plan to go entirely renewable.
Solar, wind, and tidal power are already economically sensible. Not to mention it would be a huge step towards true national independence. Start with an unequivocal goal, plan and execute.
This is an all-important issue for us all.

BEC/BPL fuel hedging = fuel surcharge + VAT!

Well they’ve been fighting like hell to get oil up to $100 a barrel ever since the market collapsed. And there is no shortage of oil or alternative fuels. If fact pill finds in the billons of barrels haven found in The Caribbean, South America, Syria and other Middle Eastern countries. And there’s still restrictions on Russian oil.. The Bahamas had several years to reduce its dependence on oil for energy. It did nothing. At least motorists have switched to fuel efficient vehicles. The little Japanese gremlins can be seen all over Cable Beach and even in Old Fort Bay and Lyford Cay now.

And now there’s forecast for early activity in the hurricane season. There may be a tropical development as early as next week.

Its amazing that even when the prices of oil were the lower they have been for many years there was no significant change in prices at the pumps (which is the next place people can't seem to get relief). You just can't win the game is fixed!

Why are we paying these incompetent managers? Fuel hedging or buying in advance (the airlines do it) makes so much sense when the price of oil was so low and even an imbecile would see that it had to rise in the future but " were working on it". Yes but you have missed a golden opportunity.

The price of gas in most Family Islands are generally 50% to 100% more expensive than in Nassau ......... If you are on islands where it is sold from 55 gallon drums, expect to pay $10.00 per gallon now ......... The Government is the biggest culprit as this is a huge tax revenue earner.

If the USA is flooding the international market with cheap oil and OPEC is in a quandry to deal with the shale oil fields and fracking of Canada and USA ........... and Trump has cut off Venezuela as a real viable oil player ....... why is the global price of oil going up?????

REMEMBER:.The Big Three (Rubis, Focol/Sol, Esso) purchase mainly American oil products.

Answer ......... Wall Street price fixing and China vs Trump trade row???????

You missed out the Russian effect on world oil prices, Russian supplies 12.6 % of the total. The US follows with 12,2%. OPEC leader Saudi Arabia leads with 13.4% of the total. world supply.. Russia president Putin has signed an agreement with the Saudi's to cut back oil production. That is the main reason for the rise in global prices..Russia needs the price to go up to boost its economy.. Sanctions from the west has caused Russia to cut back on military spending.

The good news for mother Earth is In 2012, the world relied on renewable sources for around 13.2% of its total primary energy supply. In 2013 renewables accounted for almost 22% of global electricity generation, and the IEA Medium-Term Renewable Energy Report 2015 foresees that share reaching at least 26% increase in 2020. The improtance of oil as a energy supply is decreasing as the years pass.

Is Renewable Energy sources trending in a positive direction in The Bahamas???? ....... Will BPL free the Out Islands to invest in 100% RE????

The Bahamas moving at a snale's in the area of renewables. One year after the gov promised to make a small island like Ragged Island 100% solar and renewables. we have yet to get an updated report. Countries like Costa Rica now gets 99% of their electricity from renewable sources. Countries like Iceland and Ethiopia are at 100%. We need a renewable energy policy with a plan and objective timetables with deliverable dates. That's what other countries are doing. Big countries like China is at 25% and the USA is at 14%.we maybe still below 2%. Putting LNG at clifton is a step in the right direction but even that source is not considered renewable Our neighbor Cuba who is still facing an embargo is around 4.2% in renewables. . The world is eating our lunch in this area.

Sounds like the Bahamian Government needs to go cold turkey ........ and let all consumers who want to do so, install their RE systems and give rebates or allow BPL to buy excess from the homeowners or businesses.

What happen to doing away with the vat Mr Minnis
You aren’t Rocking with that ?

Now here's a thought-
Why not drill for oil and gas?
Bahamas Petroleum have done all the legwork, get behind them and you might be self reliant for all your energy needs!

The Bahamas is surrounded by so many energy sources which goes to waste.

One of the best is using the tidal current. Simply go to Potters Cay and look at the flow of the water. Simply put some paddle wheels, turbines reduction gears to move the shaft of generators have controls to regulate and batteries....basically a wind turbune turned upside down......
Every Bahamian island can use various means to capture tidal action which is as sure as the sun.....to generate energy....
Just as the illegal Haitian Human traffickers can move 100 plus illegals on a boat by wind ...just the same way wind can be captured to move turbunes and reduction gears to generate energy......perhaps we need to get some illegal Haitian engineers to devise a wind energy devise.......instead the current trend is to follow other land locked nations and copy their solar generating devices....and of course create jobs for the ferreigners ....