Dear Residents of Bermuda,
Earth Day 2023 is centred on the theme ‘Invest in our Planet’, which focuses on engaging governments, institutions, businesses, and the more than 1 billion citizens who participate annually in Earth Day to do their part – everyone accounted for, everyone accountable.
At BELCO, we continue to invest in our business and our community to benefit everyone in Bermuda and the planet.
As outlined by Earth Day President Kathleen Rogers, “In 2023 we must come together again in partnership for the planet. Businesses, governments, and civil society are equally responsible for taking action against the climate crisis and lighting the spark to accelerate change towards a green, prosperous, and equitable future. We must join together in our fight for the green revolution, and for the health of future generations. The time is now to Invest in Our Planet.”
We are taking meaningful steps to embrace Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices that are good for the environment, the community, and our business. As such, we are proud to share a few new updates with you:
Paperless Billing
We first offered e-billing to customers in February 2009 and of our approximately 36,000 metered customers, just over 23,600 or 65% receive e-bills. This means we still print approximately 12,400 bills monthly.
One of our ongoing initiatives is to reduce paper usage because paper production uses enormous amounts of energy and water and is a major cause of deforestation, carbon emissions and climate change. By opting to receive e-bills, customers can help save trees, energy and water and reduce carbon emissions for a more sustainable planet.
To encourage more customers to make the change, we’ve launched an Earth Day E-billing Draw. All customers with paperless bills will be entered into a draw on May 31, 2023, with the winner receiving a $500 BELCO gift voucher. Switching to paperless billing is easy. Simply send an e-mail to to sign up.
For paper bills, each statement is printed, folded by a machine, and inserted into envelopes, sealed and taken to the post office for delivery within 2-5 business days to customers. However, for e-bills, customers will receive their statements the same day their meter is read, and their account is billed. E-billed statements can go to many different recipients without additional printing or posting and are also accessible via belco.bm.
Electric Vehicle Shelter
One of our ongoing green initiatives is the electrification of our fleet. We proudly boast an Intermediate/light fleet that Is 84% electric thus far and remain hopeful that, given rapidly developing technologies, we will be able to begin the transition of our heavy fleet in 2024.
Our newest and most exciting development is the construction of our electric vehicle charging shelter. The construction of the shelter began in 2022, but 2023 will see its completion when solar panels are installed. Our entire EV fleet will then be charged via renewable solar energy.
Carbon Offsetting
While we are making great progress reducing the carbon footprint of our vehicles, we are also reducing the carbon footprint of all our employees with the goal that all of our operations are Net Zero by 2050.
Through our partnership with Climate Wise, we have been able to offset approximately 3,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to the emissions created from driving a typical family car approximately 15,500,000 miles.
We endeavour to continually improve our operations and better serve the community within which we operate. The entire team at BELCO is committed to Bermuda’s journey towards sustainability and ensuring it is progressive, efficient, innovative and sound.
While this journey is ongoing, our unwavering commitment to a safe, secure and sustainable energy future remains. We look forward to doing our part to invest in the planet to address climate change and build a sustainable energy infrastructure for future generations.
Together, let’s make everyday Earth Day!
Krista Barnes,
Director Communications and Sustainability