Getting Electricity in
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Listed below are the procedures, time and cost required for a business to obtain an electricity connection for a newly constructed building.
The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.
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Name of Utility:
St. Vincent Electricity Services Ltd. (VINLEC)
- City: Kingstown
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| No. |
Procedure |
Time to Complete |
Associated Costs |
| 1 |
Obtain an internal wiring Inspection Certificate from the Government Electrical Inspector
Before applying for an electricity connection, the customer should obtain an internal wiring Inspection Certificate signed by the Government Electrical Inspector (GEI). The customer's licensed electrician (the licenses are issued by GEI) is in charge of the internal wiring, and the GEI has to inspect the internal wiring. The request for the inspecation can be filed as soon as the internal wiring is done. The construction company should fill out a form and submit it at the GEI. After the GEI estimates the cost, the applicant has to pay the fee at the treasury. The treasury gives the applicant a receipt. With the receipt the applicant goes back to the GEI to schedule an inspection.
Agency: Government Electrical Inspector
|
14 calendar days
|
XCD 85.0
|
| 2 |
Submit an application for electricity connection to St. Vincent Electricity Services Ltd. and await a connection offer
The customer submits an application for an electricity connection to St. Vincent Electricity Services Ltd. The following documents should be attached (1) Business Letter on the letterhead of the company signed by authorized signatories stating the business address (2) Copy of the business Certificate of Registration (3) GEI’s internal wiring Certificate (4) Any form of Identification such as Identification card, Passport or Driver’s License
(5) A written statement of the required peak electricity demand, work method and times of operation and installed capacity of the machines (“Load Request”).
After the application is submitted the external inspection is carried out by St. Vincent Electricity Services Ltd (VINLEC) to check whether the it is possible to add the requested load. The planning department of VINLEC inspects the site and specifies what is required of VINLEC to meet the additional load. There is no need for presence of someone from the applicant's party.
After the inspection the customer signs a connection offer
To reduce the delay time the applicant can submit the Written statement of the required peak electricity demand before the engagement of the electrician to wire the premises, so that both the load evaluation and the internal wiring run concurrently.
Agency: St. Vincent Electricity Services Ltd. (VINLEC)
|
21 calendar days
|
no charge
|
| 3 |
Await completion of the external connection works and final connection by St. Vincent Electricity Services Ltd.
Once the connection offer is signed VINLEC carries out the external connection works. The customer is required to pay the security deposit. The deposit is equivalent to the value of two months’ estimated electricity consumption. The deposit is expected to provide security for the payment of electricity account debts and it may be revised from time to time. Deposits bear interest at 4% per annum. Deposits and earned interest are refunded to customers after their supply is permanently disconnected and all outstanding bills are paid. Given the assumptions the most likely case is that the three phase supply exists in the area and only the upgrade of the transformer bank is required. Assumptions 1. Three phase supply exist in the area -three (3) 15 kVA transformers. 2. Only the upgrade of the transformer bank is required-– the three (3) 50 kVA transformers. 3. Three (3) 15 kVA transformers will be recovered. The cost of the transformers is recovered by the utility; the value is reflected in the reduction to the customer.
The customer has to wait for the completion of the connection works and the meter installation, thereafter electricity starts flowing.
Agency: St. Vincent Electricity Services Ltd. (VINLEC)
|
17 calendar days
|
XCD 40,938.4
|