Widow Wants a Stop to Ratepayers Like Her Subsidizing Government and CUC

A widow correlated her “ridiculous” $1,200 monthly power bill from the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. to ratepayers like her, essentially, subsidizing the government during the monthly CUC board meeting last Aug. 6 at the Joeten Dandan Building.

Linda Mesa Alvarez said, aside from the mix-up of CUC hooking her to two meters, she continues to suffer from high monthly power bills despite not using any heater, washing machine, or dryer. She admits to the occasional use of air-conditioning units in a house with only three people—her, her daughter, and her grandchild.

She added that for a time, she tried using solar power and even a prepaid Nighthawk meter, to no avail, saying she’s probably “the highest paying Nighthawk out here.”

With inflation, Alvarez said she can no longer afford CUC, adding that her monthly bills have tapped into her family’s food money.

“That $1,200 was just ridiculous. I disputed the fact because I know for a fact that they're overcharging. There are hidden charges there. Until CUC starts itemizing that fact and giving us the percentage, which I told them in the hearing, the only thing I'm obligated to pay is my fuel. Everything else is against the law. So, as a widow and someone who's trying to survive here to raise her kids, this CUC cannot be taken from the less fortunate. We are loyal paying customers,” she said during the meeting’s public comment period.

Alvarez said it’s entirely CUC’s fault that they seem to have no ability to collect from the government. “Yet, we have to shoulder that? It's not right, and it needs to end. The fact is, everybody on the island knows that that's been happening. Somebody needs to stop it. It's wrong.”

CUC board chair Allen Perez advised Alvarez that she has the right to appeal her case and allow it to go through the normal process when it comes to billing disputes. Alvarez responded, “I'll appeal, and we'll go on from there. And thank you guys for your time. I appreciate it,” before exiting the board meeting.

Further on during the board meeting, board member Simon A. Sanchez alluded to what Alvarez said about the government not paying its CUC bills. He noted that free utility services eventually cause utility providers to fail, emphasizing, “Nothing's free.”

The board meeting also discussed the $32 million arrears of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., with board members acknowledging that the amount could easily buy CUC a new power generator. Perez said, “We have to really find a way to be more aggressive in the collection because, you know, people keep calling for new gensets, and that's the funding source for the new gensets. But at $50,000 a month, you're not going to buy any gensets.”

At that point, Sanchez urged CUC executive director Kevin Watson to pull the plug on CHCC or any other government agency that refuses to pay their arrears.

Report by Mark Rabago