Despite the economic hardships of many and thousands still unemployed, Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) confirmed yesterday that it still intends to move forward with disconnections.
BPL announced last month that 11,399 of its residential customers were subject to immediate disconnection because they had a balance $500 or more in arrears for longer than 90 days before April 1.
However, the corporation said 1,048 customers on New Providence and 263 customers on the Family Islands who were facing disconnections have made payment plans.
“Following consultation with the government of The Bahamas, on July 1, 2020, BPL resumed disconnections of residential customers who fell into three specific bands. The company has confirmed that this remains the case up to this time and encourages customers liable to be disconnected to come in and make payment plans,” BPL noted in a statement.
“Residential customers with a balance more than 90 days in arrears since April 1, 2020 (488) and customers who had enrolled in the BPL COVID-19 Relief Programme (559) had until July 28, 2020 to bring their accounts current, or to enroll in a payment plan. Up to July 30, 1,361 customers have been disconnected, with 646 of those reconnected.”
In April, BPL suspended disconnections for “so long as the government says” and also rolled out a three-month bill deferment program for people who were laid off or in quarantine because of the pandemic.
However, that suspension expired in June.
BPL said the total amount owed to the corporation by those delinquent accounts in arrears is $36.9 million in New Providence and $9.1 million in the Family Islands.
BPL stated it will work with customers who find themselves liable to disconnection.
The post BPL moving forward with disconnections appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/07/31/bpl-moving-forward-with-disconnections/
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