Since peak energy was reached in 2009, residential consumption has fallen by 14 per cent and commercial usage has dropped by 20 per cent, and today Bermuda’s power consumption has dropped to its lowest level in 20 years
The reduction meant that Belco’s annual output of energy has dipped below 600 million kilowatt hours for the first time this century. More efficient usage, along with renewable power generation by customers alternative power sources such as solar panels, accounted for some of the reduced demand.
Belco statistics showed that commercial customers’ energy consumption last year fell to its lowest level this century, at 263 million kWh, a 19 per cent drop from 2009. Residential customers’ usage has fallen 14.1 per cent since a peak in 2010.
A portion of last year’s drop can be attributed to Belco’s new battery storage system, which created a reserve of ten megawatts of power that can be used if there is a power generation fault.
