SCHOOLS MUST SAVE ENERGY TO SAVE COSTS

By Venus Honore-Gopie Thursday, August 20 2009

THE Regulated Industries Commission (RIC) yesterday said it cannot alter the electricity rates for denominational schools and advised they should conserve electricity to keep their light bills down.

The Association of Denominational Boards is presently waiting word from the Ministry of Education and the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (TTEC) on recommendations on ways to cover their bills, which include not to charge schools at commercial or industrial rates.

However, RIC executive director Harjinder Atwal said yesterday “the RIC is unable to agree to a residential user rate for schools” or even a special lower rate since the burden of such a tariff, if granted to any consumer or group of consumers outside of a governmental subsidy programme, “would have to be borne by other consumers.

“Such action would be in breach of the provisions of the RIC Act which mandate the fair treatment of consumers,” Atwal said.

Instead, Atwal said the RIC recommends that an electricity conservation campaign be launched at schools, which would not only reduce their costs, but have positive implications for the environment. The RIC said it would help support such an initiative.

Atwal explained consumers are classified into groups of residential, commercial and residential based on shared characteristics, generally by the volume of usage or load factor.

“Schools, based on the applicable load factor, are categorised as commercial or industrial consumers,” he said. Atwal said TT electricity tariffs remain amongst the lowest, “if not the lowest in the Caribbean and Latin America.” He added the RIC must have “regard to the public’s interest and ensure equal access by consumers to service, fair treatment of consumers, and non-discrimination in terms of access to, pricing and quality of service.”

In response yesterday, Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM) chairman Hazel Reis said the board never asked for residential rates but was simply saying that schools are not businesses and should not be charged commercial or industrial rates but rather a “special rate for the nation’s schools”. The board is indebted to TTEC to the tune of $1 million.

Reis said the board had a meeting at the Education Ministry yesterday and they received good news. “We are pleased about it,” she said but declined to give details as this would be a breach of confidentiality.

Commenting on the RIC’s decision, public relations officer for the Association of Denominational Boards Sat Maharaj said the regulator was acting in accordance with its mandate and felt the Education Ministry and the State should intervene in the situation.

“It is the ministry and the Government itself that dictate the syllabus in the schools, the association should demand that these schools provide more than teaching facilities that use a tremendous amount of electricity,” Maharaj said. He was referring to subjects, such as information technology which require the use of computers.

Maharaj said due to the escalation in crime and vandalism it was necessary that schools be provided

security systems and lights. He said in some cases the Maha Sabha’s Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College was in the process of installing electronic surveillance cameras and other equipment. While the RIC talks about conservation of electricity Maharaj said, “What can you save on? Children have to use computers.”

Maharaj said the Maha Sabha was also in arrears and has planned a cultural show and dinner to raise $150,000 for the maintenance of the Tunapuna, Spring Village and Riverside Hindu schools. He said it was a similar situation with other denominational schools which have to raise funds to pay their electricity bills. “Why should parents be called to subsidise when the State could do it,” he said.

Chairman of the Presbyterian Primary School Board of Education Manan Deo said his board will have to review the suggestions by the RIC since it is difficult to bring down the consumption of electricity usage which is required to manage these rates. “My board will have to look into it and see what merit can be done.”

He too said there should be a joint initiative by the Education Ministry and denominational boards to resolve the situation.

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,105796.html