Avery also had something about all those Belizeans who are complaining that their electricity bill is suddenly higher this year than ever before.
Activist Geovannie Brackett has even started a movement to agitate against BEL. That's because according to Brackett, he's received encouragement from plenty of Belizeans who feel certain that they are being jilted, even if they have no proof of it, other than the unusually high light bills.
Today, a member of the press challenged the PUC Chairman on the concerns of these citizen complaints, and here's that back and forth:
Reporter:
"Having a petition right now or giving/doing any type of vegetation with a petition is futile because there is no way that petition will be able to compel the PUC to look into allegations of higher bills being implemented by the Utility company."
John Avery, Chairman - PUC
"I am telling you that what I am saying is that we don't have any evidence of that and if someone petitions the PUC and doesn't provide in evidence then we don't have any evidence on which to base the investigation in. If you have a high bill, like I said I had mentioned six things that could impact your bill being incorrect. These 6 things are important; the first 3 is incorrect billing due to an incorrect reading error, a bill calculation error or using rates not approved. A customer can check those for himself. The other thing involves the meter itself, it is either the wrong meter, wrong type of meter, the meter isn't installed properly and the meter just isn't reading accurately. BEL didn't go and change all these people meters, change their installation or did anything to their meter prior to covid. It's the same meter that was working satisfactorily all this time that remains, and they did not go to people's houses and change anything. So at the end of the day we are at a stage where if the customer believes that BEL isn't accurately registering their consumption, they need to register an individual dispute with BEL over the accuracy of the meter in which case the meter will be tested. If it shows to be working properly, that will be the end of the matter, but if it shows that the meter isn't working properly then legally you'll have to make an adjustment."
Avery says that due to increased consumption due to COVID, his own utility bills have gone up by 35%.
