St. Vincent electricity fuel surcharge reaches record high

St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) has announced that the fuel surcharge for October 2026 will rise to 86.71 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This represents a seven-cent increase from September and surpasses the previous high of 83.20 cents recorded in July.

The utility attributed the spike to record-high benchmark diesel prices in September, driven by global supply disruptions and geopolitical tensions. To mitigate the impact on consumers, VINLEC applied a monthly subsidy of EC$798,591, its largest to date. Without this intervention, the surcharge would have exceeded 92 cents per kWh.

Since the implementation of government cost-of-living measures in May 2026, VINLEC’s total subsidies have exceeded EC$3.9 million. The company is also continuing investments in renewable energy, including a solar farm at the Lowmans Bay Power Station and a battery energy storage system at Cane Hall, which is expected to be completed in early 2027.