The Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) is investigating reports that several major commercial customers, including supermarkets, have been paying electricity bills lower than those of ordinary households, a government spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
Director-General of Communications Maurice Merchant said Cabinet was told that “some large businesses are paying electricity bills that some households are paying,” describing the discovery as a clear indication that “something irregular is happening.”
He explained that APUA has begun installing new tamper-proof metering systems to prevent manipulation of the utility’s equipment and ensure accurate readings.
“The minister indicated that APUA is currently working towards installing particular systems that will prevent any tampering of its equipment,” Merchant said during the post-Cabinet media briefing.
The initiative follows earlier findings by the Ministry of Utilities that certain companies were under-reporting their electricity usage, depriving the authority of expected revenue. Merchant said the upgrade of meters is intended not only to stop the irregularities but also to recover lost income. “I think that is all part of the plan,” he noted.
No names or numbers were disclosed, but officials said the situation had become “an eye-opener” for the Cabinet, which has called for tighter oversight of commercial energy consumption.
The new meters are expected to form part of a broader effort to modernize APUA’s billing and monitoring systems as the government moves to improve transparency and reduce revenue leakages across state agencies.
