Friday Urges VINLEC to Show Flexibility With Customers Facing High Bills 

By S.Browne. Updated 8:50 p.m., Tuesday, August 4, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Prime Minister Dr Godwin Friday has urged the St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) to exercise greater flexibility with customers struggling to pay electricity bills as households continue to grapple with high fuel surcharges.

Dr Friday made the appeal during an interview on NBC Radio on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, where he addressed concerns about rising electricity costs and the government’s efforts to cushion the impact on consumers.

While stressing that consumers remain responsible for paying their bills, the Prime Minister said the current economic circumstances require a more understanding approach.

“VINLEC would also have to understand that they can’t rush and cut off people in the same time frames that they used to be in the past. We have to all have some more grace and simply say we are trying to work our way through this crisis.”

Friday said households are facing exceptional financial pressure because of international fuel prices, which he linked to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

He noted that the government had removed the excise tax on diesel imported by VINLEC and asked the utility to absorb part of the increased fuel costs rather than passing the full amount on to consumers.

According to the Prime Minister, VINLEC absorbed more than EC$730,000 in fuel costs during July that would otherwise have been reflected in customers’ electricity bills.

“As it is now, the surcharge is too high, but it is still lower than it could have been because of the measures that we have instituted and the measures that VINLEC took.”

Friday said the government had originally hoped temporary relief measures introduced in May would carry the country through a short-lived spike in fuel prices.

However, he said the expected easing of international oil prices has not materialised, forcing the government to continue reviewing ways to reduce the burden on consumers.

He maintained that while high electricity costs are affecting households directly, they are also placing additional pressure on businesses and the wider economy.

The Prime Minister added that the government remains committed to finding longer-term solutions by expanding renewable energy and improving energy efficiency to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel.

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