BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Aug 19, CMC – The St. Kitts Electricity Company Limited (SKELEC) is urging consumers to meet their financial obligations to the state-owned entity that says it needs in excess of four million dollars (one EC dollar =US$0.37 cents) monthly to meet its operational needs.

“Our major source of revenue is the electricity that we sell to our customers, so we expect to be paid,” said Pearl Williams, the company’s financial manager.

Speaking on a radio programme here, she said the company does function in the red and it is important for consumers to do their part by paying their bills.

She told listeners that some consumers, including business establishments do not regard paying electricity bills as a priority and in some cases the electricity bill often goes unpaid, for several months.

She said the privately owned SKELEC does not receive support from the government, its sole shareholder and with high operational costs, consumers must do their part by meeting their obligations.

“We have started disconnections. Disconnection is never the first collection choice because as a business … what we want is to generate electricity, provide electricity as a service to our customers, but at the end of the day we have to get paid,” she said, adding that payment plans are offered to assist customers to manage their outstanding balances.

SKELEC’s Customer Service Manager, Sanshé Thompson, explained that the Deferred Payment Arrangement (DPA) plan calls on consumers to make an initial payment on the arrears  and a time span for repayment, mutual to both parties, is agreed upon.