By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

SCORES of frustrated residents lined up outside the Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC) on Monday to pay their bills following widespread electricity disconnections.

Customers said they did not receive prior notice before their power was cut and scrambled to restore service. A huge crowd gathered at the company’s headquarters on Pioneer’s Way, where some waited for hours to make payments.

“I got a call saying the power company was doing mass disconnection, I had to leave my groceries to come here,” one resident said.

Some people reported receiving a notice an hour after their power was already shut off.

“The notice came at 11.27am and the power was off from 10am, I guess no one thought of implementing a 14-day notice policy,” one customer complained, questioning the Grand Bahama Port Authority, which regulates GBPC, about the disconnection notice policy.

On its Facebook page, GBPC issued a statement acknowledging its failure to provide clear communication ahead of the disconnections and apologised to customers.

“We understand the recent disconnections have caused significant frustration and disruption for many of our customers,” the company said. “We know how important electricity is to every household and business, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this has caused.”

“Our normal process is to provide clear communication prior to disconnections for non-payment, and we recognise that this step was not executed in this instance.”

GBPC said it is reviewing its internal processes to ensure customers receive proper notice in the future. It also announced that all disconnections for non-payment would be paused for the remainder of the week.

“Once disconnections resume, GBPC will ensure that notice is communicated in advance before disconnecting for non-payment, consistent with our normal practice,” the company said.

Some residents, however, expressed scepticism over the company’s explanation.

“Y’all broke my heart today trust you me!” one resident posted on GBPC’s Facebook page.

“What’s so funny about this is they tell you that disconnection is out of their control but here it is they are saying they are going to pause disconnections for the remainder of the week. GBPC y’all are too funny,” another customer wrote.

The utility company also reminded customers that payment plan options are available for those facing financial difficulties and urged anyone experiencing challenges to contact its Customer Service team.

GBPC emphasised that its priority is to work with the community to “find solutions, keep customers connected, and ensure reliable power for all.”

The high cost of electricity remains a longstanding issue for Grand Bahama residents. In August, GBPC was criticised over increased power bills due to a higher fuel surcharge, which left many customers frustrated.

On Monday, Pastor Eddie Victor, a former community activist, stressed that residents should not bear the cost if GBPC failed to maintain its generation units properly.

“If your bad decisions have brought about the maintenance failure of your major primary generation units, the people should not pay for that,” he said.

GBPC had blamed the increase on its reliance on diesel fuel. The latest fuel charge jumped from $0.1884 per kWh in July to $0.2353 in August — a nearly five-cent spike linked to diesel use. The company insisted it does not profit from fuel charges.