House­holds in the Caribbean Netherlands will get slightly lower electricity bills from July 1, due to the price re­duction of fossil fuels. The Authority Consumer and Market (ACM) has set slightly lower maximum rates for energy suppliers on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (BES). As a re­sult, an average household on Bonaire will pay about US $0.60 less per month. For St Eustatius the elec­tricity bill will be $2 less and for Saba $3 less each month.

ACM sets the maximum rates for the production and distribution of electric­ity in the Caribbean Netherlands each December for the upcoming year. Energy suppliers then set the rates they charge residents and businesses based on these maximum rates. To consid­er fluctuating fuel prices, ACM can adjust the maxi­mum rates as necessary on July 1 each year.

The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Cli­mate subsidises the cost of operating the electric­ity grid with a fixed charge, so that all connections are on the average European Dutch level. Specifically for small connections, the standing charge will be fur­ther subsidised to zero in 2024.

For Bonaire, the maximum variable usage rate decreas­es slightly from $0.3575 per kilowatt-hours (kWh) to $0.3550 per kWh. The maximum “pagabon,” or prepaid, rate also decreases slightly from $0.6371/kWh to $0.6346/kWh, before ap­plication of subsidies on the fixed charge.

For the consumption of an average household on Bonaire, this results in a decrease of about $0.60 per month. For St. Eustatius, the maximum variable us­age rate decreases slightly from $0.3958 per kWh to $0.3877 per kWh. For the consumption of an average household on St. Eustatius, this represents a de-crease of about $2 per month. For Saba, the maximum vari­able usage rate decreases slightly from $0.3810 per kWh to $0.3687 kWh. For the consumption of an av­erage household on Saba, this represents a decrease of about $3 per month.

The Daily Herald.