Local power cuts continue in wake of major outage
Caribbean Utilities Company
(CNS): Following the more than five-hour blackout across Grand Cayman through Thursday and Friday night, there were more sporadic and localised cuts in the power supply on Friday and Saturday. In its last annual report CUC, Grand Cayman’s electricity supplier, continues to report a more than 99.97% reliability of supply but there have been several major blackouts across Grand Cayman this year caused by a variety of issues, from explosions to “spurious faults” on the transmission line.
Commentors on the CNS website following the overnight blackout also suggested the power outage lasted much longer. While some of those contributing to the online debate said Cayman should be grateful for its electricity supply, others raised concerns about the number of and length of power interruptions giving the price people pay for their electricity.
Category: Local News
The outages will continue until the gayness subsides.
It is all my fault. And Grindr. I blame Grindr because I am weak.
First world prices
Third world service
CUC is over charging this country by so much, they can afford to have a redundant system in place that would make blackouts an non issue. Where is all this money they are making going? My CUC bill is the only electrical bill i have seen where the fuel and administration cost is separated from the killowatt hour rate. Fuel and administration should be part of the killowatt hour charge. By separating out this, they are effectively passing on all of their overhead cost directly to the consumer. Then charge a killowatt hour rate(that could cover overhead and still allow profitability) separately. It is a scam and CUC is fleecing the country and dragging down the local economy.
Where does this enormous profit end up?
Boot up your own generator and see how much it costs you, and if you want to know where all the profit is going buy shares and reap the dividends. Still disgruntled? Well simply turn off your power at the panel box and act like a mushroom, if you’ve been to other countries in the region you’ll find we have one of the best power utility infrastructures in the Caribbean.
Yes it could be better, but you’d obviously be paying more for that. So you’re also saying that admin costs and fuel should be rolled into Kwh? Good one, then you’d be whining about the Kwh cost being used to hide the fuel cost and so on. My guess if you were making the rules a CUC we would soon have a bankrupt utility and no power to boot. Would it be run any different in your world with you at the helm, I think not.
I will just switch to solar in a few years when it is economically viable. Wonder where you will work when most people do the same?
If I was running CUC and collecting all the profits i would probably do the same. I have that bit of greed in me too i guess. But maybe after i have exploited the country for a number of years i would grow a conscience and start to do the moral thing.
Yes costs should be rolled into kwh and then broken down further to say what portion of the Kwh is fuel and what portion is admin. NOT try to mislead the public by charging a Kwh rate which is completely profit and compare that to other places where the kwh includes costs.
Also after i had my fill of exploitation, I would philanthropically look into energy production that is more sustainable. I know solar is the death of CUC and those inflated profits but stopping progress is shameful.
You sound just like a politician. Promises promises… It all fades when you get in power.
This is exactly the issue people have. Although CUC are reasonably reliable in comparison to other caribbean islands, I’m sure, the amount we are charged is extortionate. The MLA’s need to take turns standing in CUC and listening to what people have to go through to pay their bills. It’s horrible and outrageous.
The amount you are charged is not extortionate and is competitive when compared to other similar sized Islands in the Caribbean. Now paying 25 cents per KWH of which 14 cents is fuel. It is US 40 cents in the Virgin Islands or 35 CI cents by comparison. Bermuda is around US 30 cents and Jamaica that is over ten times our size is at US 25 cents per KWH.
Yes, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Cayman pays more than everyone else when other charges are added in, resulting in a higher monthly bill than most other nations.
See (2013) http://www.royalgazette.com/storyimage/RG/20130522/BUSINESS03/705229964/AR/0/AR-705229964.jpg&Logo=/images/rglogo1.gif&LogoXPos=0&LogoYPos=290&maxw=630&maxh=350
Or (2015)
http://grenlec.com/Portals/0/Small%20Island%20Electricity%20Sector%20Comparison%20-%20OP%20ED%20March%202015.pdf
I am not sure which other charges are on your bill, however your information confirms from an independent source that CUC’s rates are not extortionate and are very competitive. This is supported by the graph shown in the Grenlec report on average cost per KWH for all rate classes which is the best comparison. Some interesting information on consumption in the report such as Grenlec’s average residential use is 141 KWH and commercial use is 1369 KWH. Grand Cayman’s average residential use is near 950 KWH by comparison which leads to the perceived high rates compared to other islands.
http://grenlec.com/Portals/0/Small%20Island%20Electricity%20Sector%20Comparison%20-%20OP%20ED%20March%202015.pdf