Andrew Baird he is back in the news tonight except there is no animosity. In fact Baird was celebrating when he visited our studios late this evening. Baird came by to tell us that following a meeting this morning at BEL headquarters he received a cheque from the electricity company and the amount that is being paid is quite enough for him to purchase a brand new refrigerator. When 7NEWS contacted BEL Communications Manager Dawn Sampson she told us that the five hundred dollar offer, the depreciated value of the damage refrigerator, remains in effect and the additional funds paid are for the customer to use to cover any expenses that may have been incurred as a result of any inconvenience he endured.
Baird says BEL can call it what they want but all he knows the amount given to him will now allow him to purchase a brand new appliance and that is what he intends to do by Monday. Just how much more money was given? Well Andrew Baird says both parties in the meeting agreed to not disclose the amount written on the cheque.
Andrew Baird, Satisfied
“They went into a meeting with the vice president Mr. Curtis Eck and in that meeting we basically discussed the way things had transpired between myself and BEL and we talked about my inconveniences and the amount of money
BEL was initially offering to me and during that conversation Mr. Eck told me that BEL is willing to give me a certain amount of money good enough for me to purchase a brand refridge, basically of the same type.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
How much money was offered to you?
Andrew Baird,
“Jackie definitely I cannot discuss the amount of money but like I said it is satisfactory enough for me that I would be able to use that money and go back and purchase a brand refridge of the same type.
Definitely the message I have sent to Belizeans is that you don’t have to sit back and just take everything that is pushed down your throat from these big corporate companies. There is a way to get around these companies. One, you can stand up like I had done and the Public Utility Commission is available to help settle situations like these.
Definitely I will have to look at the necessary things I have to do personally to protect my appliances but there is only so much one can do within their home to protect. The rest will have to come from BEL and again, if in the future this should happen, any appliance is damaged or destroyed by BEL in a power outage, I will go back and give due process its chance and if due process doesn’t work, I am always willing to go back and due what I did again and again.”
Five days ago Andrew Baird strapped his refrigerator to the top of his car and blocked the entrance to BEL’s compound on the Northern Highway. BEL’s Corporate Communications Manager Dawn Sampson told 7NEWS that Andrew Baird’s refrigerator was damaged because the copper ground wire for their transformer in the area had been stolen and that left the BEL distribution system without proper protection. Under these circumstances, homes especially those that are not properly grounded could experience damage to equipment during inclement weather or during power interruptions.
