Electricity

To obtain electricity service, property owners are required to complete and sign an application for electrical service, pay a deposit for Post-Pay Service (there is no deposit required for Pre-Pay electricity), show proof of ownership and a photo ID. Tenants are required to complete and sign an application for electrical service, pay a deposit, provide a signed rental agreement or lease and submit a photo ID. Applications should be submitted online. The Customer Application Form can be found on CUC's website. CUC's Customer Service Centre is located at the Company's Administration Building on North Sound Road in George Town and Customer Service Representatives are available to answer inquiries in person from 9am-4pm Monday-Friday (not including public holidays). All other business should be conducted by telephone or e-mail.

The required security deposit for electricity on existing accounts is calculated based on the average historical usage of 45 days of consumption. Deposits for new residential homes/condos are calculated based on square footage and number of bedrooms.

Grand Cayman runs on a 120 volt electricity system with three-pin plugs. However, the outlets are designed to accommodate a two-pin American plug (see picture below).

Electricity Rates

Monthly electricity bills will vary depending on the size of your house/condo/apartment, your lifestyle, how often you run your air conditioning, the efficiency of your air conditioning unit, the age of the property and how well the property is insulated, among other factors. It is important to note that the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) and regular maintenance of your air conditioning unit can make a big difference in kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption and your monthly electric bill. The lower the SEER, the more energy will be consumed for the same of cooling. A SEER of 16 for example, will consume more than a SEER of 18 or higher. Managing your energy usage and getting your air conditioning units serviced regularly will ultimately save you money.

Due to the initial impact of Covid-19, a base rate increase effective June 1, 2020 was deferred to January 1, 2021 as part of a number of customer relief initiatives. As of January 1, 2021 base rates are CI$0.1185 per kWh for residential customers with a monthly facility charge fee of CI$5.82. There is additionally a regulatory and licencing fee of CI$0.0051 per kWh, which applies only to usage over 1,000 kWh per month. After factoring in the surcharges for the cost of fuel, fuel duty and energy purchased from third party sources, the effective residential rate in January 2021 was approximately CI$0.2149 per kWh.

The Government duty on fuel is CI$0.25 per imperial gallon. The fuel cost fluctuates with the global price of oil and the cost of fuel is passed down to the consumer after a two-month lag. To put it all into perspective, usage of 1,000 kWh per month would cost approximately CI$252.33 and usage of 1,500 kWh would cost CI$382.01 (based on the June 2019 rate). The cost of electricity is the same island-wide and does not fluctuate depending on the time of day.

Bill payments are not accepted at the Company’s two Customer Service Centres, but details on the numerous payment methods are listed under ‘Payment Methods’ on the Company’s website.