Browne Says APUA Will Phase In Fuel Charge Increase as Pressure Mounts Over Rising Electricity Bills
Prime Minister Gaston Browne says the Antigua Public Utilities Authority will not pass the full increase in fuel variation charges on to consumers immediately, as the country grapples with higher electricity costs driven by rising global fuel prices.
The remarks came after APUA announced a 70-cent increase in its fuel variation charge for May, citing continued volatility in international fuel markets. The utility said it would absorb part of the increase while the remainder would be reflected in customers’ monthly electricity bills.
The increase prompted criticism from opposition figures, including United Progressive Party Public Relations Officer Senator Jonathan Wehner, who argued that Antigua and Barbuda remains overly dependent on fossil fuels despite years of promises to expand renewable energy.
Speaking Pointe FM, Browne said the government is already subsidising fuel and electricity costs to ease the burden on consumers.
“APUA just announced that they can’t hold the fuel variation charge anymore. They’re going to increase it. But they’re not going to transfer all of it at once to the consumers,” Browne said. “Still has to subsidize.”
He added that the government is no longer earning revenue from fuel taxes and is instead helping to offset rising costs.
“In fact, what is happening now, we are paying to subsidize prices at the pump, and we are also paying to subsidize electricity,” Browne said.
The prime minister linked the higher costs to global instability affecting oil markets and said the country’s long-term solution lies in transitioning away from imported fossil fuels.
Browne pointed to ongoing talks with Saint Kitts and Nevis and the European Union on a proposed geothermal energy partnership that could allow Antigua and Barbuda to purchase geothermal power from Nevis through a subsea transmission line.
“We’re in advanced discussions now with St. Kitts and Nevis and the European Union,” Browne said, adding that geothermal energy would provide more reliable and cheaper “base load power.”
He also argued that Caribbean countries remain vulnerable to external shocks because most electricity generation across the region still depends heavily on fossil fuels.
The fuel variation charge was introduced by APUA in July 2024 to reflect fluctuations in fuel prices associated with electricity generation. The charge is adjusted periodically based on movements in global oil prices.
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OH MY GOSH just transition to solar already and use our existing plants as backup until the geothermal comes online!!! Solar is now cheaper than diesel and would mean we are not subject to huge volatility with oil crises every decade. This isn’t hard and the fact that this government hasn’t made this a priority is shameful and reflective of how much lobbying the power plant / car import special interests have in this country.
TRANSLATION:
“I’ve won another term in power because of ABLP’S ‘100 Promises’, and also the APUA amnesties for those who could not or would not pay their utility bills, now the rest of you are going pay up SOONER rather than later”.
Here’s Antigua’s ‘second language’ Spanish translation 😉:
“He ganando otro mandato gracias a las ‘100 promesas’ del ABLP y tambièn a las amnistías de la APUA para aquellos que no podian o no querían pagar; ahora el resto de ustedes van a pagar más pronto que tarde”
To the Spanish community living in Antigua, please accept my apologies if I’ve not translated correctly, but Prime Minister Gaston Browne has asked us to accept Spanish as our second language. So I’m trying to make an effort for he… 👍🏾
You can’t do a thing for Antigua because you sign a contract with the Hadeed family and their money agreed to can’t be change, the irony about it is APUA buy the fuel give this private company to produce electricity then charge us for what power their engine produce, i never seen such upside down weak leadership just so a few can benefit and not the people of the country.
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