Public Demands Answers Over Higher BEL Bills

Higher grocery prices, higher fuel prices and now higher electricity bills. Belizeans are growing frustrated by soaring expenses for basic needs, including electricity. Many customers have reported their latest charges doubled or even tripled.

Following mounting complaints across social media, News 5 contacted BEL for further clarification beyond a statement issued on Friday. The company said it is reviewing ongoing concerns and plans to respond further.

In its Friday statement, BEL pointed to seasonal weather as the primary driver, stating, “During these warmer months, cooling appliances naturally work much harder to maintain the temperatures we all rely on, which directly influences overall household energy consumption.”

The company also advised customers to seek alternatives during peak heat hours to manage costs.

But Friday’s explanation has done little to ease concerns. One customer said, “I don’t buy this statement. I am not doing anything different than I’ve done before. I don’t understand why my monthly bill would suddenly double. I appeal to BEL to do a reassessment of their meters.”

While another said, “No one is at home. We leave at 6:30am return at 6:50 pm daily, and bill gone up fool talk but no fool listen.”

“Not only that but on Sunday past, the electricity went off and came on back about 5 or 6 times in matter of seconds. These outages damage appliances,” another customer added.
The spike comes months after BEL raised its rates to $0.4427 per kilowatt-hour in January to cover nearly $108 million in energy supply costs.

BEL says it is still reviewing customer concerns, and a further response is forthcoming.