Hamilton,
Bermuda
From Shelly Leman, Managing Director Transmission, Distribution and Retail:
For customers reviewing their BELCO bills and comparing them to previous months or years, it is important to first review their energy consumption which is outlined in kilowatt hours (kWhs).
For residential customers, a comparison of the current month’s usage with the previous month and the same month last year can be found at the bottom of the bill under “Consumption Comparisons”. When usage is higher, particularly during summer months, the overall net effect is a higher bill. Customers with AMI meters can log onto the customer portal at belco.bm and view historical consumption trends as well as drill down into hourly and daily usage patterns to help with these comparisons.
Residential BELCO bills can be broken down into four components: energy charges, facilities charge, fuel adjustment and the RA Fee. The electricity sector is regulated by the Regulatory Authority of Bermuda (“the RA”) and rates that customers are charged are approved and set by the RA.
The energy charges associated with a residential customer bill are applied via an inclining rate block structure. The first block is charged for usage up to 250 kWhs at a rate of $0.1370 per kWh, the second block is for usage between 251 and 700 kWhs and is charged at a rate of $0.2436 per kWh and the third block is for usage above 700 kWhs and is charged at a rate of $0.3803 per kWh. If a customer used less than 250 kWhs in one month, and in subsequent months consumed more electricity pushing them into the second or third blocks, their bill will reflect higher charges for the energy used at higher rates.
The Fuel Adjustment Rate (FAR) is another component of customer bills and is reviewed and adjusted every three months as approved by the RA. When comparing a current bill with previous bills it is important to review the difference in the FAR. The FAR is different from Retail Tariffs (or base rates) and base electricity rates have not changed since January 1, 2023.
Customers can visit the Know your rate & bill section on our website to find detailed information regarding the components of the BELCO bill as well as the rates that are applied for each component.
If a customer has questions about their bill, they can call the Customer Experience Team on 295-5111 or come to BELCO’s offices at 27 Serpentine Road, Pembroke and the team will work to ensure the customer understands the charges. If customers are struggling to pay their bill, they can reach out to BELCO’s credit and collection team to discuss payment arrangements.