The public is being asked for input on what will soon become the Service Standards for BELCO and other licensed electricity providers.
The Regulatory Authority (Authority) Interim CE, Aaron Smith said: “The Authority is primarily concerned with ensuring that consumers receive safe and reliable services at just and reasonable rates.”
The Authority has published the draft Service Standards for public consultation “so that electricity consumers can have a meaningful role in establishing performance indicators that are important to them”, Mr Smith said.
“It is also a legislative requirement that the Authority publicly consult on this matter.”
Stakeholders including BELCO, Tyne’s Bay Waste-to-Energy facility and potential generators are also invited to respond with their comments and suggestions.
Mr Smith explained: “This work by the Authority contributes to a robust regulatory framework for the electricity sector and establishes clear guidelines for the public when dealing with BELCO and other providers. The Service Standards are a requirement of the Electricity Act 2016.” The Act serves to protect the interests of end-users with respect to prices and affordability, balanced with the adequacy, reliability and quality of electricity service and supply in Bermuda.”
Service Standards will identify:
- Customer service measures such as the number of consumer complaints received and the average response time to resolve a query
- Technical parameters such as the efficiency of transferring electricity from generators to consumers
- Indicators to measure the average frequency and length of electricity outages per customer per year using industry-standards
- Occupational Health and Safety requirements for licensees to ensure that employees and contractors are safe at work
Following the determination of the Service Standards the Authority is considering:
- Monitoring the licensees’ performance for continual improvement
- Comparing performance of Bermuda’s electricity generation companies against each other
- Comparing Bermuda’s service providers with utilities in other markets to benchmark performance
- Establishing performance incentives in the rate-setting process
“Performance Standards will need to be met while ensuring that end-user tariffs are reasonable, without significant increases year to year”, Mr Smith added.
The Authority has published on its newly designed website www.rab.bm, a summary and the consultation document ‘Service Standards for Generation and Transmission, Distribution and Retail Licensees’. Responses may be submitted by clicking the “Submit” button on this page (rab.bm/electricity-public-consultations).
More information about how the Service Standards are used in the rate-setting process can be found in the Retail Tariff Methodology documents on the Public Consultations page at www.rab.bm.
