Minister for Communications and Works, Hon Kye M. Rymer (R5) during the Virgin Islands Voice on September 30, 2026. Photo: GIS/K. Lettsome

General Manager of the BVI Electricity Corporation, Dr Neil M. Smith on the Virgin Islands Voice on September 30, 2026. Photo: GIS/K. Lettsome

The Cabinet of the Virgin Islands has approved an additional $2.5 million available for fuel subsidies for the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) as the Virgin Islands (VI) continue to grapple with high electricity costs. Photo: Internet Source

This was revealed by Minister for Communications and Works, Hon Kye M. Rymer (R5), during the Virgin Islands Voice on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. 

“That will take us to the end of the year. So you can enjoy the months coming up leading into Christmas, and hopefully you'll have a good Christmas with subsidies.”

He explained that for the past few years, the government has been offering a fuel subsidy for Christmas, and these funds will jump-start that a bit earlier this year. 

Funds approved in SAP, heads to HoA next week

Hon Rymer thanked the Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), for making the additional funds available. 

“Cabinet has already approved [the funds] in the SAP,” he said. 

This will be taken to the House of Assembly next week during the Continuation of the Fifth Sitting of the Third Session of the Fifth House of Assembly scheduled for Thursday, October 8, 2026. 

The Minister said the subsidy will ensure residents and BVIEC customers are not as stressed about their bills as they were in August. 

3-month subsidy made a significant difference- Dr Neil M. Smith 

In April 2026, the government announced that it was subsidising BVIEC customers by $1 million per month for a three-month period. Following the end of that three-month period, customers received extremely high bills in August 2026 for their July 2026 electricity usage.

General Manager of BVIEC, Dr Neil M. Smith, added, “The intervention that the government of the Virgin Islands made on electricity bills during that 3-month period made a significant difference. It was only when the subsidy was not applied that the customer realised how significant that intervention was.”

He said that, while it may not seem so, that particular intervention on electricity bills made a significant impact on people’s lives, allowing them to purchase things that they otherwise would not have been able to. 

“The more disposable income the citizens of the Virgin Islands have, the more the country develops.”