Consumers Deserve More Than Higher Electricity Bills

Dear Editor,

Once again, electricity consumers in Sint Maarten are being asked to pay more through an increased fuel clause without receiving enough information to determine whether the increase is truly justified.

For families and businesses, this is not a debate about accounting formulas or international oil markets. It is about whether there is enough money left after paying the electricity bill to meet everyday expenses.

While GEBE does not purchase Brent or WTI crude directly, and factors such as freight, storage, inventories and supplier pricing influence fuel costs, consumers deserve more than general explanations. They deserve transparency.

GEBE should publish, in clear and understandable terms, the fuel purchase period used for the calculation, the average price paid, the quantity of fuel consumed, the electricity generated and the methodology used to determine the fuel clause. A monopoly utility should not simply ask the public to trust its calculations; it should be able to demonstrate them.

The fuel clause, however, is only part of the problem. The real issue is public confidence.

Consumers do not know whether they are paying solely for legitimate fuel costs or whether inefficiencies, system losses and other expenses are also being recovered through their electricity bills. That uncertainty has eroded trust.

The recent decision to assign greater oversight responsibilities to BTP is therefore an important step. But oversight only has value if it produces results. BTP should independently verify GEBE's calculations and publish its findings so that consumers can have confidence that the tariffs they pay are fair, reasonable and properly substantiated.

Government should also stop suggesting that its hands are tied. While it should not interfere with GEBE's day-to-day operations, it does have the responsibility to enforce the concession, ensure proper regulation and protect consumers by requiring transparency and accountability.

Yet perhaps the greatest concern is not today's fuel clause, but tomorrow's electricity costs.

Where is the national vision to reduce the cost of producing electricity?

Where is the roadmap for modern generation, renewable energy, battery storage, lower system losses and greater energy efficiency? Where are the measurable targets that will reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels and make electricity more affordable over the next decade?

Consumers are repeatedly told why electricity is expensive, but they are rarely told how it will become cheaper.

Transparency and stronger oversight are essential, but they are only part of the solution. Sint Maarten also needs a clear, long-term energy strategy focused on reducing production costs rather than simply explaining why prices continue to rise.

Consumers understand that electricity costs money. What they deserve is confidence that every dollar they pay is justified—and a government and utility that are working together to ensure those costs decline, not just today, but for generations to come.

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