BPL & Ragged Island. Is that an oxymoron ?

You see those big cruise ships that come to the Bahamas? Yes the new ones. Every single piece of equipment on them including engines, lights, a/c water makers, kitchen equipment are powered by fuel cell that can run a ship 20-25 years before it needs replacing. In some parts of Texas and Ohio and others, electricity is free from midnight to 6 am and other areas have incentives for consumers who use electricity off peak. So why are Bahamians still being saddled with electricity bills they cannot afford to pay. The whole fiasco in Venezuela is about preventing that country’s oil from reaching world markets. In economic terms Donald Trump would gently call it maintaining price stability, never mind millions of people are near to starvation. And ass more and more electric vehicles are produced and alternative forms of energy are used to power factories and plants and even cities, the more difficult it will be to maintain the price of oil. Beware : some also use war as an economic tool to create consumption or end recession.

Yeah, OK, the price of oil, and Venezuela, and all that, yeah, true ... but that doesn’t explain why so many Bahamians have come to believe that they simply don’t have to pay their bills — utilities, credit cards, college loans, whatever.

Seems that everybody can afford cell phones and cars and the latest Miami hip-hop clothing and jewelry and a $200 hairdo, but claim they can’t pay for their water and power.

What IS it about this nation that has led to this belief?

Every home should seek to put in solar panels to power their fridge and water heater. And unless you have air- conditioning that will cut your electricity bill in half. For most homes the water heater doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just placing a water tank in an area that gets most direct sunlight can work. And for homes with more hot water usage build a grid with a series of galvanized or copper pipes running to the tank.

the water heater you can turn on and off, but the fridge is a hog and requires batteries. it is not cost effective to run a fridge on solar power.

John I appreciate your good intentions. I would venture to say however that affordable
Engineering is not part of your expertise. To equip your average 3bed/2bath dwelling with
A useful working solar system will cost in the region of $40000. ( including panels, batteries,
Inverters, voltage regulating, plumbing, wiring, etc. etc.) Thats an up front initial cost.
How many Bahamiams can afford that? Many cannot afford the $300 to BPL every month.
On the private islands down through the Bahamas you see the systems installed and
Performing great. Down East Street not so much.

BPL needs to let the Out Islands go green ......... no need for them to be on dirty oil.

That is the first energy reform that Bannister can do ......... right now!!!!!!

solar energy is far from green, the batteries do not run on algae

Well if the government would make it legal to sell back to the grid you wouldn't need batteries because the grid itself would be storage.

It's not that it's dangerous, it's that they want every single Bahamian shackled to their antiquated, oil generating scam that enriches the government.

Are you talking about Govt. Involvement or individual entrepreneurial initiative??

I think you mean ALGAE. Education is a wonderful thing

what?

Yes, or no the comrades BPL, must've sourced their Out Islands generators from the same source Guardian Talk Radio bought their cheapie broadcasting sound system from, yes, no even more listener' annoying sounding than university students radio station?

If these centralized polarized governments (PLP & FNM) can divorce their centralized colonial mentality away from putting most investments into New Providence and – start diversifying the country’s development outside of New Providence, we can and will do better. Make all alternative energy apparatus duty and tax free – create agencies to help with financing ‘ teach various alternative energy disciplines in university ‘ build a national agency for developing and executing a national policy for alternative energy – cut down and stop dependence on corruptive fossil fuel to drive energy – If only we could have good leadership that can see the future – now!

P.S. ... Not one of the cruise ships visiting the Bahamas is running on fuel cells. Not one. They are still in the planning stages. Info here:

https://www.maritime-executive.com/arti…

Ok fine, so rather than targeting those trying hard to keep up with the electrical bill (but paying something) why not also target those who are paying nothing but are turned on illegally by their buddies at BPL? Some of these people have been on for years and no ones bothering them. It’s not like this is something new or that we don’t know about, we all live in ‘ neighbourhoods where there is at least one person or more illegally connected, and whose paying for this? No one but struggling paying customers, who else!