Author: ajt

Here’s the route for Health Walk 2018 on Saturday May 26 starting at 5am at Needsmust Station:

As part of our Customer Appreciation month activities we visit the younger ones in our community. And on Friday May 5th we visited those at the Bronte Welsh Primary School in Trinity. Present were Faust Richards, Production officer at Needsmust Power Station, Desiree Syder, Customer Service supervisor, Haniff Woods, Engineer at Transmission & Distribution, and Gawain Fraites PRO.

During the session the students were shown a video on electricity generation and transmission and also drone footage of workers in the filed carrying out maintenance work. During the question and answer stage the students asked very insightful and productive questions.

On Sunday, April 29, 2018 the Honorable Minister Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd, members of the Board of Directors, management, staff and their families worshipped with the congregation of the Faith Tabernacle Church of God, Old Road.

Bishop Glen Ford, a dynamic guest speaker of the Reformation Centre Ministry (RCM) out of Trinidad, delivered a powerful, soul searching, captivating sermon on self-governance; the ability to be obedient even in the absence of supervision. There is a lot to be learned from observing the movements of the ants and the lotus, who, without an appointed leader, set out and accomplish the task at hand. Let us not become sluggards but be more obedient and pro-active in all we do.

The day climaxed with a delightful lunch at Railway Bar and Grill, Old Road. A short question and answer segment yielded attractive gift vouchers for participating staff.

It was indeed the ideal start to our Customer Appreciation Month, May, 2018.

Find out how we intend to give back to you our valued customers during this year’s Customer Appreciation Month of Activities .

On Wednesday April 4th, one of our Generation sets (G2) experienced a fault which caused our operations team to shut down the unit. This  led to two feeders on the island  being placed offline (Bayford’s and Canada). After initial maintenance and service checks by our engineers and mechanics, the fault was identified and a source of action was recommended. In order to make the necessary repairs in a timely and efficient manner, the unit must be placed out of commission for the next 48 hours. Presently, the engineers are working on schedule overhauls on another genset which means that the Needmust Power Plant will not be able to produce the necessary load needed during the peak hours (9:00 am to 3:00 pm) in the day.

As a result of the anticipated shortfall, electricity supply will be interrupted at the times and in the areas as follows:

Time, Feeder, (Areas Affected)

9:00am – 11:00am, Frigate Bay, (Bird Rock, Frigate Bay)

10:30am – 12:30am, Industrial Site, (Industrial Site, Bird Rock)

10:30am – 12:30am, Canada, (Canada Industrial, Halfmoon, Conaree)

12:00pm – 2:00pm, Sandy Point, (Boyd’s to Halfway Tree)

12:00pm – 2:00pm, Cayon, (Lodge to Mansion)

1:30pm – 3:00pm, Bayfords, (New Road, St. Peters)

The schedule is based on data collection of feeders and specific locations during the peak load hours, and it is meant as a solution to make sure we are able to share the load equally.

SKELEC regrets the inconvenience of these electricity supply interruptions. Please also note that the schedule is only valid until Friday 6th April, 2018. We do expect that to have fixed and recommissioned the genset by Saturday April 7th.

Please note that the electricity supply may be interrupted later and restored earlier than the scheduled times. Please assume electricity supply service points are live at all times so all are asked to exercise due care and attention.

Our technicians are installing transformers at the St. Peter’s Reservoir.

For the past several hours technicians from SKELEC as well as water engineers have been working on a solution which would assist with the present water shortages experienced by customers in St. Peter’s, Taylor’s and parts of Buckley’s.

Our linesmen are seen here installing new transformers, at a reservoir in St. Peter’s, which would be used to power the new pump which was recently installed in the reservoir.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, February 20, 2018-The Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) will co-host the 2018 CARILEC Corporate Communications, Human Resource and Customer Service Conference under the theme: Redesigning Human Resource, Corporate Communications, and Customer Service Processes, 11-14th, March in Jamaica. The conference is co-hosted by the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPSCO). The annual event is a multi-disciplinary experience for utility practitioners, consultants, media experts and business professionals in the fields of Corporate Communications, Human Resources and Customer Service who seek a comprehensive education accompanied by innovative learning sessions, peer-to-peer learning and exceptional networking and social opportunities.

Created by professionals who specialise in the electricity and energy industry, the CARILEC Corporate Communications, Human Resource and Customer Service Conference has been designed as a hub of rich content. It offers delegates a unique experience committed to their understanding of the trends, innovations and laws affecting the industry; furthering their professional development and enabling them to bring new ideas and approaches to their respective organisations.

This year’s Conference places a special focus on Disaster Management, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery as the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season was one of the most active seasons within recent history, and many affected utilities and citizens are still recovering. Disaster management is vital to ensuring safety and sustainability during disasters and cannot be separated from human resource management as it plays an integral role in planning for and responding to disasters.

Additionally, some of the biggest operational challenges faced by a utility can occur after a disaster. When this happens, public relations and customer service teams assist with minimising the impact of disruptions to customers and employees and therefore play a key role in ensuring business continuity and disaster recovery.

The Conference will feature Joyce E. Brooks as the keynote speaker. Brooks is an author, facilitator, motivational speaker and engineer. Joyce is the owner and managing member of Brooks Consulting, LLC whose mission is to assist businesses and organisations gain a competitive advantage by focusing on leadership development, organizational strategy, and individual well-being. She is also the author of three books titled “Self-Inflicted Overload”, “Stress Less and Live More” and “It Ain’t Over!” Through her works, she encourages individuals to live a more balanced, stress free and fulfilling life.

After this Conference, public relations, human resource and customer service managers who are tasked with assisting in disaster management and recovery will be better prepared to execute these responsibilities.

Also in collaboration with JPSCO, CARILEC is scheduled to host its 2018 Occupational Health & Safety & Disaster Management Seminar concurrently with the Conference. The Seminar is sponsored by Emera Caribbean Incorporated, and will be held under the theme: “Safety by Design with Disaster in Mind.”

To register or learn more about the CARILEC 2018 Corporate Communication, Human Resource and Customer Service Conference email us at conferences@carilec.org , explore our website www.carilec.org, follow us on twitter https://twitter.com/carilecpower or like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/carilecpower .

In 2017, SKELEC recorded an increase in the number of illegal connections identified. This is of grave concern to the company given the implications for the safety of the public and the company’s employees, as well as the loss of revenue.

An illegal electricity supply or stealing of electricity is the obtaining of electricity from SKELEC’s grid without making the necessary application, including obtaining electricity without SKELEC’s approval after the user’s supply has been disconnected.

Illegal electricity supply is usually obtained through:

• Self-reconnection of a disconnected supply
• Meter tampering so that the full usage is not recorded
• By-passing the meter
• Tapping into the power lines
• A feed from the neighbor’s supply be it with their permission or not.

The practice of illegal connection can pose several risks not only to the individual who is stealing but also to individuals living in close proximity to the illegal connection. These include unplanned outages due to overload of the network, loss of appliances and serious injuries to SKELEC’s employees.

The stealing of electricity is a serious offence punishable by law. The St. Christopher Electricity Supply Act 2011, Section 24, Subsections 1-3 indicates that any person caught maliciously or fraudulently removing electricity commits a crime of larceny and if convicted may be charged a fine “of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) and one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each day that the offence continues unabated, or to imprisonment for a term of two years.”

In the case of corporations, the fine is “ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) and two hundred and twenty-five dollars ($225.00) for each day that the offence continues unabated.” SKELEC also imposes its own fine of one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00) per occurrence plus the estimated usage for the period.

SKELEC would like the practice of illegal electricity connections to cease immediately. The public is therefore urged to do its part in assisting SKELEC to curb this crime by:

• Always applying for a legal connection
• Not tampering with the meter. Call SKELEC for assistance in remedying issues with your meter
• Being aware of your surroundings and reporting suspicious activities involving your electricity supply to SKELEC immediately
• Visiting the office to request a bill if you are not receiving a monthly bill
• Reporting illegal connections to SKELEC immediately, by calling SKELEC Fault Reporting at 465-2013, or by calling our Customer Service Department at 465-2000.

  Over the last year, SKELEC has referred all consumers found with illegal connections to the police and is aware that charges have been filed. In addition, once such consumers do not immediately settle the outstanding amount, civil proceedings are pursued to recoup the outstanding balance plus the penalty for illegal connection. SKELEC therefore strongly urges all consumers to desist from violating the law.

SKELEC also wishes to thank the members of the public who have been vigilant and have reported incidences of suspected illegal connections.

The St. Kitts Electricity Company Limited (SKELEC) is pleased to announce that the Automated Meter Interface (AMI) Project or Smart Meter Project which was initiated approximately two (2) years ago, has entered its final stage.

SKELEC in collaboration with the installation team from Corinex have begun testing the features of the new meters together with the corresponding technology. The company is delighted to have reached this junction and is especially pleased given the improved services which will now be available to our customers. Services which include but are not limited to:

• Remote reading
• On demand reading (for customers requesting final bills)
• Timely billing
• Improved Customer Information System (CIS)
• The facilitation of service requests via our website
• Fault detection and
• The ability to facilitate pre-paid billing in the future
• Remote disconnection and reconnection.

The remote disconnections and reconnections feature has been tested and proven and is currently being utilized in the company’s daily operations.

SKELEC is proud to be among the first utilities in the Caribbean to implement AMI integration and highly anticipates the completion of the project and its official handing over in the first quarter of 2018.

Many thanks are extended to the general public for their patience during the installation phase of the project.