The official language of Belize is English, but the small Caribbean country is known for having a diverse society with a multitude of cultures and languages, including those of the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.
“This is truly a melting pot of colorful personalities, making the 314,000 residents of Belize the country’s greatest resource on the tourism front,” according to the official website of the Belize Tourism Board.
As the primary distributor of electricity in Belize, Central America, Belize Electricity Ltd. (BEL) serves a customer base of approximately 75,300 accounts. The Belize City-based company owns and operates a 22-megawatt gas turbine unit at its West Lake generating plant and substation. The operation has a peak demand of about 76 megawatts and is regulated by the Public Utilities Commission.
BEL is 70 percent owned by Fortis Inc., the largest investor-owned distribution utility in Canada. About 46 percent of BEL’s electricity comes from Comisión Federal de Electricidad, Mexico’s national utility; 38 percent from Belize Electric Company Ltd.; 2 percent from Hydro Maya and 10 percent from Belize Aquaculture Ltd.
The remaining 4 percent comes from BEL’s local diesel-generating facilities, according to the company.
From BEB to BEL
For years, an American investor who owned a DC generator and ice plant provided electricity to Belize City.
In 1950, the Belize Electricity Board (BEB) was created as an autonomous statutory corporation and passed an ordinance that was later revised and renamed the Belize Electricity Board Ordinance, chapter 156 of the laws of Belize, in 1958.
At the time, BEB only supplied electricity to Belize City. The town councils supplied to the other municipalities in the country from 6 to 10 p.m. every night, but could not keep up with the growing demand.
“In those early years, the generating facilities were all diesel electric, and because of the shortage of serviceable generating capacity, the firm capacity often fell short of consumer demand for power,” BEL says.
In 1971, BEB increased its generating, transmission and distribution capacity to all districts of Belize. It underwent another expansion in 1980.
By 1992, BEB had eight stations generating an aggregate amount of 97 million kilowatt hours for a total of 27,000, the company says. Up until that time, the Belize government owned BEB. That year, BEB privatized and became BEL.
The Belize government divested itself of its 51 percent holding in the company in 1999. As of 2006, Fortis held a 70 percent interest in the company. The Social Security Board of Belize held 27 percent, and the remaining share was held by smaller shareholders in Belize.
Customer Care
BEL places a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction. Since the company began measuring customer satisfaction in 2000, it has maintained a customer satisfaction rating of more than 80 percent, it says. “[We strive] to deliver reliable and high-quality electricity supply to meet the needs of Belize at a reasonable rate,” BEL says.
The company provides a number of services, which include premise inspection, electricity service connection and relocation, temporary lighting and electricity service, meter relocation, tree trimming and updated reports on power outages, downed electrical wires, broken utility poles and streetlights that are not working properly.
“At BEL, knowing what our customers want and whether our service is satisfactory requires that our employees go out and meet our customers,” it continues.
“BEL has received valuable feedback on its service through customer visits and has been able to implement various initiatives to improve service reliability, quality and efficiency.”
For instance, the company provides a number of useful tips on its website. Examples include a detailed explanation of what electricity bills look like and how they work, as well as instructions for customers to learn how to read their meters. BEL allows residential customers to calculate their energy consumption costs for a day, week or month. It also offers energy-saving tips and highlights the different ways customers can pay their electricity bills.
‘Social Partner’
BEL prides itself on giving back to the community. “At BEL, we see ourselves as a social partner in Belize,” the company states. “As a responsible corporate citizen, we believe in making social investments in the community through corporate donations and sponsorships that add value to and improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.
“We are involved with community initiatives in the areas of education, arts and culture, health and sports,” BEL continues. “Our in-kind and monetary contribution goes a long way in forging stronger relations and partnerships with the community. The number of community involvement activities and sponsorships we are involved with attest to the significance of our corporate commitment and undying support for the community.”
Some of the company’s community initiatives include:
- BEL Minorettes Marching Band
- BEL/UB Scholarship Program
- National AIDS Commission
- Young Women’s Christian Association
- Belize Emergency Response Team
- Megabytes Cycling Team
- Belize Amateur Athletic Association
- Football Federation of Belize
- Belize Council for the Visually Impaired
- La Ruta Maya Canoe Race
In December 2010, BEL provided hampers filled with grocery items for families in need for the 12th consecutive year.
