Your monthly water bill is officially going up. The Public Utilities Commission has issued its final decision on Belize Water Services Limited's rate review, and the results will affect your pocketbook starting this April.
While BWS originally asked for a 20 percent rate hike, the PUC has capped that increase at 13.5 percent. For the average customer, that translates to about a 5.5 percent increase on your monthly bill.
The decision follows a review period that began late last year. While the overall rate increase was settled in November, a new "minimum charge" has been added to the final ruling.
BWS requested, and the PUC approved, a minimum bill for anyone using between 0 and 600 gallons of water. The commission says this ensures that even low-usage customers contribute their "reasonable share" of the costs required to maintain service in their area.
These new rates are locked in for the next five years, running through March of 2031.
The full 20-page decision is now available for public viewing on the PUC website at puc.bz.
