Increased rainfall in Dominica has contributed to what DOMLEC says is a reduction in the rate of its fuel surcharge.
DOMLEC’s Public Relations Officer, Adina Bellot-Valentine, said this means that Dominicans will see a drop in their electricity bills.
“For the last few months, we were looking at 40, 49, 42, 44 cents but so far in June we have noticed a 31 cents and July 33 cents, the lowest that we have seen in fuel surcharge since 2009,” she stated. “It is attributed to the rain. For that last two months, we are realizing about 40-44 percent of hydro production. The rain has been helping.”
However, Bellot-Valentine admitted that sometimes there is a drop in the fuel surcharge but gas prices continue to rise.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to disconnect within the two because as the price of oil goes up, we wouldn’t realize the savings that we would have, if we are using diesel. As long as we are using diesel for the generation of fuel, we are going to have a fuel surcharge,” she said.
She also indicated that perhaps “geothermal is the way to go”.
“Government is leaning towards geothermal. There are pros and cons, persons have different opinions where geothermal is concerned but if that’s going to help then that’s probably the way we have to go,” she said.
Since when rain water reduces utility bills? but what I’m hearing their nuh! people really are taking us for fools in this Country eh! how much was the reduction? $100.00? all you not EZ papa…
Dominica Ministry of Energy should be looking at what other countries are doing, such as this example going on in Canada. In Canada we have two programs,.. the FIT Program (for companies) and the MicroFIT Program (for individuals such as you and I). These programs allow companies and individuals such as you and I, to be able to mount solar panels, install wind turbines, or hydro turbines on our own properties, feeding/selling the electricity we produce back into the electrical grid. Individuals wishing to do this can apply through the Government for a 20 YEAR Power Purchase Agreement, this PPA agreement will have an agreed to price for every MW (MegaWatt) of electricity produced. This program has been very successful as of March 2013 over 22,282 MW (this equates to 22,282,000,000 WATTS of Power – yes over 22 BILLION Watts of power) have been Contracted in this fashion. Everyone wins, CLEAN energy, no burning dirty diesel, a much more stable grid which reduces power outages greatly, individuals can make a personal investment on their own property that equates to receiving a Cheque every month for the next 20 years, which is when the next PPA price will be negotiated. Win Win Win for everyone!!!
let it rain
If the wind blows a lot at cane field and the Roseau valley have they thought about putting up some wind turbines there? just a thought the technology is being used in European countries.
Electioneering tactics. Last year and the year before we had a lot of rain. In fact there was more rain in 2011 than 2013. The price of electricity did not go down. Lies lies lies
You are comparing 2011 to July 2013. It is not December 2013 or January 2014.
If she states there will be a decrease in the price of electricity, everyone should welcome it with a thankful heart. Dominicans should go with the flow.
Oh please with your geothermal Adina, even if we have that we gonna still be paying high costs for electricity. You realise that we would be questioning our high bills after all this rain so that is why you quickly brought it to light but otherwise go away with the geothermal and concentrate on hydro this is what we have in abundance, explore it instead, we have a very good water table/source/reserve whatever you want to call it, confirm with the DOWASCO Engineer Mr Williams he will tell you.
You are overseas. So do I and many others. Wherever you reside we should know that the cost of living is not decreasing but increasing. This means ‘escalating and rapidly’. We cannot get away from it. Disappointing and frustrating as it is, it is a worldwide situation which we have no alternative but to bear be it with a heavy heart.
People must try to conserve energy so as to decrease their monthly bill. They should also try to decrease other costs of items which may not be important. It is as simple as that, a way of life. We are cautioned to spend wisely.
I remember when the British built the hydro power plant at Trafalgar there was no shortage of electricity on the west side of the island. One can be built on the east coast there are plenty of rivers.
don’t tell me that mrs adina bellot Valentine is using that to give thumps up to the geotheral project.. wat she think she doin. she has to get a money somewhere to say that crap.
more rain should fall so we would have lower domlec bills to pay and less money in domlec pockets… thats just bull
You are fortunate to get a decrease. I reside in a country no matter how much rain falls we do not get a decrease in electricity. On the contrary, annually, it is increased.
Today, the emphasis is on conserving energy. The Internet has a lot of information about that, including purchasing relevant stove, fridge, washers and dryers if you have the latter two and electric bulbs which will decrease the cost of electricity and water. This is the norm today, everyone looking out for their pocket.
Krazy you an educate fool, if I may call you that. You did not weight anything but be narrowly objective. What do you mean they have to get the money from somewhere? They are getting it from you, but the rainfall means less reliance on fossil fuel, hence, they will be passing that savings on to the consumer.
do not be fooled by that
Domlec said “we are realizing about 40-44 percent of hydro production” Can Domlec tell the public how much is that translated into money made through hydro from the DOMINICAN RIVER which belongs to Dominicans, and how huch of that money is given back to the Dominican people?
They should go geothermal and Domlec would then become the distributor as oppsed to the generator of electric power. Otherwise the government could buy the distribution syustem and contract them to operate the system. I would not trust the givernment to run a lemonade stand.
Idiot!!!
Call the people that work for the government get paid late constantly idiots. Call all the contractors who have satisfactorily fulfilled their contracts but haven’t been paid by the government idiots. Call all the foreign investor, even for this year alone, that came interested but went running away from Dominica idiots.
I think you may be an idiot.
I’m just saying.
Domlec is realizing about 40-44 percent of hydro production. What is Domlec paying to the people of Dominica for using this resource to make money out of us
If Domlec paid money to the treasury for use of the water, they would simply pass on the cost to us… i..e we would just be paying tax by proxy
Even if Domlec had 100% hydro electricity they would still overcharge. With the exception of St. Vincent most the other Caribbean countries don’t have hydro yet they charge much less than Domlec. So Domlec’s pricing policy has nothing to do with diesel, hydro or geothermal. It all about the unrestricted ability to squeeze blood out of the pockets of its long suffering customers.
As a legislated monopoly Domlec should be much more reasonable than that. Imagine, in an economic recession where everybody is cutting back, Domlec ‘reported’ profits jumped magically by over 33% from 6 to over 8 million dollars.
If Domlec is to get geothermal, their profits will move to over 40 million but the customers will still get basically the same rate whilst Domlec will continue to ‘manufacture’ excuses as to justify their cruel pricing policy.
Even the Independent Regulatory Commission(IRC) is powerless to investigate Domlec since for several years Domlec has been stonewalling their request for data that would able them to be accounted properly. For instance the charge that their metered use of diesel conflicts with the actual fuel they purchase from supplies. In effect causing consumers to pay for fuel they never consume.
The government on the other hand is in no hurry to chastise Domlec. due to the character of the sales tax, every increase made by Domlec results in a huge gain for the government coffers as well. So don’t expect the government to do a thing about this fleecing any time soon.
In general Domlec’s caustic overcharging can be summarized to the following:
– greed
– bloated management structure
– dubious accounting policies
– use of diesel instead of lower cost bunker-c
– non-competitive environment(monopoly)
– weak regulatory agency.
– complicit government
– poor purchasing decisions(ie buying worthless equipment).
– docile consumer base
– culture of revolving ownership
– absence of a strategic policy.
One thing Domlec never tell its consumers is why it has to spends unlimited thousands in public relations. Domlec is rather unique in this regard. Just do your research to see which other OECS country does the same. If it had nothing to hide it will not go down that way.
Was not that hydro power pant at Trafalgar built by the British when Dominica was a colony so how did Domiec get to own it? That power plant belongs to the people of Dominica it was a gift from the British when the island was a colony.
for how long BLA BLA@the eye u so right.
BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA…….
That’s the same thing I heard.