Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

JvD residents charged ‘exorbitant’ electricity bills for standby generator- Hon Skelton

- said this needs to be ‘corrected’ quickly
Opposition Leader Hon Ronnie W. Skelton (AL) has claimed that residents of Jost van Dyke (JvD) are being faced with 'exorbitant' electricity bills due to the high costs associated with running a temporary generator on that island. Photo: Youtube/Facebook
Residents of JvD have had power issues since September 18, 2023, due to a damaged undersea cable that connects that island to the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) grid on Tortola. A standby generator was installed on the island in September. Photo: Reporters/File
Residents of JvD have had power issues since September 18, 2023, due to a damaged undersea cable that connects that island to the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) grid on Tortola. A standby generator was installed on the island in September. Photo: Reporters/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Opposition Leader Hon Ronnie W. Skelton (AL) has claimed that residents of Jost van Dyke (JvD) are being faced with “exorbitant” electricity bills due to the high costs associated with running a temporary generator on that island.

Speaking at the Continuation of the Sixth Sitting of the First Session of the Fifth House of Assembly (HoA) on January 30, 2024, Hon Skelton called on Minister for Communications and Works Hon Kye M. Rymer (R5) to resolve the situation urgently.

Residents of JvD have had power issues since September 18, 2023, due to a damaged undersea cable that connects that island to the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) grid on Tortola.

A standby generator was installed on the island in September.

Our news centre had reported in December 2023, that it has been costly to keep the generator stocked with thousands of gallons of diesel and that it has cost the BVIEC thousands of dollars.

In addition, almost weekly the generator malfunctions putting the entire island out of power.

Hon Skelton said attended a meeting in Jost van Dyke on Monday night, January 29, 2024, when he was made aware of the matter of the high electricity bills. He said he didn’t discuss the issue with Hon Rymer because he didn’t wanted him to go and do his research.

‘This is not right’- Hon Skelton

According to the Opposition Leader, because of the BVIEC putting a generator in Jost van Dyke, they are “charging the residents of Jost van Dyke exorbitant electricity bills.

“Because a high-speed generator, Madam Speaker, will definitely burn more fuel than what’s on Tortola, but this is a different situation. You are supplying someone with power, your cable failed, now they have to do things to get power back to the people, and now you charging them electricity bills sometimes 30 percent more than they are paying on Tortola.”

Hon Skelton said “this is not right” and said the Minister for Communications and Works needs to jump on top of this and get it corrected.

“I know the answer he is going to come back to me with but it can’t be right. It needs to be corrected and corrected quickly,” Hon Skelton stated.

‘JvD electricity woes to soon end’- Hon Turnbull

It was recently that Second District Representative Hon Melvin M. Turnbull said now that an undersea electricity cable has arrived on the island, the people of Jost van Dyke should soon see the return of stable electricity.

“I know the Minister for Communication and Works is working tirelessly on fixing the power situation here… I saw the cable come over on the barge, so I am grateful for that to be established,” Opposition Member Hon Turnbull said at the opening of the new Jost van Dyke Primary School on January 18, 2024.

9 Responses to “JvD residents charged ‘exorbitant’ electricity bills for standby generator- Hon Skelton”

  • Eh? (31/01/2024, 11:55) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hon Skelton said attended a meeting in Jost van Dyke on Monday night, January 29, 2024, when he was made aware of the matter of the high electricity bills. He said he didn’t discuss the issue with Hon Rymer because he didn’t wanted him to go and do his research.

    This surely cannot be what he said?
  • bviec (31/01/2024, 13:34) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    if the standard rate for electricity is .29c per kwh ( or what ever it is ) then that is what JVD should be charged. adding higher cost of fuel as a higher surcharge than tortola pay is wrong...bVIEc..your equipment failed...dont pass the buck to your users ...OR you take the JVD fuel usage and add it to the rest of bvi fuel usage and divide it amongst all of us...don't isolate tthe smaller community.. anegada pay same as tortola right ??? but you still ha e to ship fuel there..... so you must have a formula to figure it out.
  • GateKeeper (31/01/2024, 19:51) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Residents of Jost Van Dyke should be paying whatever the established cost is per KwH. Residents of JVD should not be punished for being on a different island. It seems as if BVIEC is assessing a geographic cost and penalizing JVD consumers because of their being at different geographic location. There is a contract between BVIEC and customers on JVD. The residents of JVD are meeting their obligations, ie, paying their bill. The fault in the undersea cable was not cause by JVD residents. BVIEC has a responsibility to deliver services consistent with the contract between BVIEC and JVD customers. JVD customers should not be asked to pay higher rates which higher and not borned by other customers on Tortola. If JVD customers don’t pay their bills, they will be disconnected. Good customer service and proactive and forwarded thinking would entailed BVIEC having a back up generator on site to provide at least some power, if not full power, when there is a problem with the undersea cable or distribution land lines on Tortola or power generating system.
    • @GateKeeper (01/02/2024, 09:41) Like (2) Dislike (3) Reply
      To GateKeeper, the BVI has a caste system based primarily on social status. During slavery and colonialism the caste system was based on race and transitioned to social status after slavery. The people on the outlying islands, especially the residents on the smaller islands, were at the bottom of the caste, self-hating and self-discriminating system and treated worst than hated step chiren. The maltreatment and mistreatment extended to health, education, telecommunications, transportation, social service, etc. The maltreatment and mistreatment continues. JVD has 5 reps , ie, a district rep and 4 at large members, but only 1 at large member speaking about the inequity and injustice and indifference. Further, the Premier, the leader of Government should be ensuring that all residents are treated fairly and equally. The Premier has a golden opportunity to lead from the front and strong but increasingly it is looking as if he is a Peter Principked leader. Come on Premier you are a bright fellow. Get out of the office and among the people and fell their pain. If you don’t I predict you will a failed flash in the pan Premier. Get out of the damn office and lead..I digressed. JVD only have a few hundred voters so they can be ignored. A wise sage blogger notes power, influence, resources follows the numbers don’t look as if JVD residents are out in the Atlantic without either sail, engine or oars. They are screwed. But wait Harry say you will hear.
      • UK Concerned Voice (01/02/2024, 12:01) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
        @@GateKeeper, slavery, slavery trade, colonialism, etc are in the past and behind us, they are history. Continuing to focus on them and on things that happened centuries ago is a drag on the territory’s progress and territory’s relationship with big countries, and also people who want to move on, turn the page, live in harmony, etc. Give us that chance. None of us today are slave owners, know anyone who owned slaves, etc. We should not punished for the deeds of our ancestors Black or White. The weight is burdensome. Let’s forget and move on.
        • @UK Concerned Voice (01/02/2024, 22:38) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
          @UK Concerned Voice, so you want the descendants of slaves to forget about the free labour, exploitation, dehumanization, abuse, rape, deprivation of even basic education, and healthcare, poor diet, inability to own property, inability to partake in civic affairs, separation of families, divide and rule, etc. So are you going to forego the special privileges, entitlements, control of power, resources, wealth, control of all the levers of government, ability to develop pass-on generational wealth, etc? I will chill in the Lazyboy and await your answer.
          Moreover, you are also a history revisionist and want us to believe that slavery is a figment of our imagination or as Ron Desantis offers that slavery provided slaves with valuable skills. You are also against reparation for slaves descendants.
  • lodger (31/01/2024, 21:56) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    More pressure
  • See (31/01/2024, 23:28) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Just more BYI ignorance. Tourists go to JVD not the sewage ridden, trash burning, pothole roads of Tortola. The morons in suits failed again in providing simple basic service to JVD. Why screw the little man once again . It's a territory problem. Treat it as such ... Or what ... not enough voters on JVD ? Ignorance and corruption.
  • Disinterested (01/02/2024, 09:42) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    To GateKeeper, the BVI has a caste system based primarily on social status. During slavery and colonialism the caste system was based on race and transitioned to social status after slavery. The people on the outlying islands, especially the residents on the smaller islands, were at the bottom of the caste, self-hating and self-discriminating system and treated worst than hated step chiren. The maltreatment and mistreatment extended to health, education, telecommunications, transportation, social service, etc. The maltreatment and mistreatment continues. JVD has 5 reps , ie, a district rep and 4 at large members, but only 1 at large member speaking about the inequity and injustice and indifference. Further, the Premier, the leader of Government should be ensuring that all residents are treated fairly and equally. The Premier has a golden opportunity to lead from the front and strong but increasingly it is looking as if he is a Peter Principked leader. Come on Premier you are a bright fellow. Get out of the office and among the people and fell their pain. If you don’t I predict you will a failed flash in the pan Premier. Get out of the damn office and lead..I digressed. JVD only have a few hundred voters so they can be ignored. A wise sage blogger notes power, influence, resources follows the numbers don’t look as if JVD residents are out in the Atlantic without either sail, engine or oars. They are screwed. But wait Harry say you will hear.


Create a comment


Submit comment

Create a comment

Submit comment
Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.