The proposed 2027 Budget electricity increase raises serious questions about fairness and common sense.
Effective January 2027, residential consumers using 3,000 kWh and above face a proposed 5% increase, while manufacturing and industrial consumers are spared.
Has anyone considered the ordinary household struggling through this heat wave? Who is realistically going to switch off their air-conditioning or fan and suffer in unbearable temperatures simply to keep the electricity bill down?
Climate change is contributing to rising temperatures, and extreme heat is not going away. Households should not be financially punished for trying to keep their homes bearable. If 90% of households are expected to exceed the 3,000 kWh threshold, where is the protection for ordinary citizens? This claim must also be supported by actual consumption figures.
And what about the Regulated Industries Commission (RIC)? Where is its voice in this debate? What assessment was made of the impact on households, and why should residential consumers be treated differently from manufacturing and industrial users?
There is another irony. Policies proposed under the previous PNM administration are sometimes adjusted and implemented under different terms. Property taxation, for example, has become a contentious issue for landlords, who may ultimately pass those costs on to tenants.
Government must explain these decisions clearly instead of expecting citizens to accept every change without question.
THE PEOPLE NEED ANSWERS, NOT CLEVER ADJUSTMENTS TO POLICIES THAT LEAVE THEM PAYING THE PRICE.
Gordon Laughlin,
Westmoorings
