The chief executive of a local solar energy company has launched a petition calling for an independent review of proposed electricity tariff changes that he maintains will penalise customers who were incentivised to pursue renewable options.

Robbie Godfrey of BeSolar launched the petition on change.org this week, during which time it has attracted 481 signatures, with an initial goal of reaching 500.

Recent electricity rate changes were announced by Belco and approved by the Regulatory Authority — a move that Wayne Caines, president of the utility, insisted was “not a penalty on solar”.

However, Mr Godfrey joins a chorus of solar energy customers and advocates who say that the proposals will result in “substantially higher fixed monthly charges” for households with solar arrays.

The petition calls on the RA to defer implementation beyond the August 1 date they are planned to take effect, until an independent review is completed.

It said the analysis and evidence should be published, showing that the facilities charge tallies with the costs imposed by customer groups and conforms with policy.

Finally, it said the RA should ensure the final structure uses differential charging based on “actual reliance on the electricity grid”.

The petition said: “Bermuda has spent many years encouraging residents and businesses to invest in renewable energy, battery storage and energy efficiency to reduce electricity costs, strengthen our energy security and support our national climate goals.

“Many households responded to that call, investing significant personal savings into solar energy systems with the understanding that responsible energy choices would continue to be encouraged.

“The proposed electricity tariff changes due to take effect on August 1, 2026 fundamentally alter those incentives. For many households with solar systems, substantially higher fixed monthly charges will significantly reduce the financial benefits of the investments they made in good faith.”

One incentive for solar energy adoption came from the Government in 2018 with the solar energy rebate programme offering benefits in the areas of solar electricity and solar water heating.

The petition went on to suggest that the issue extends beyond solar owners. It said it raised wider questions about affordability, consumer choice, future investment in renewable energy and whether Bermuda's electricity pricing remains aligned with the Government's stated energy policies and long-term national objectives.

It added: “We recognise that Belco must recover the legitimate costs of maintaining and operating Bermuda's electricity system.

“However, those costs should be recovered through a tariff structure that is demonstrably fair, transparent, evidence-based and consistent with Bermuda's commitment to a cleaner, more affordable energy future.”

Belco said this month that rates will be “unbundled for greater transparency”.

The utility stated that usage and demand charges that were previously bundled to reflect the total cost to generate and deliver electricity to customer homes would now be separated, and that the changes would provide transparency and a fairer sharing of costs.

Impact varies by customer class and usage, which Belco said was “not a single across-the-board increase or decrease”.

On the unveiling of the new price structure earlier this month, Donn Foggo, the RA’s director of communications, said: “We understand that, due to some customers expecting to see changes to their bills, there will be questions — but a main objective of the redesign is to enhance transparency.

“Every customer pays for electricity and every customer also depends on the grid. This redesign helps ensure those two things are better aligned by making bills easier to understand, ensuring customers contribute more fairly based on their usage and supports a reliable electricity grid for the island.”

The regulator has published a detailed report on its website.

Alexa Lightbourne, the Minister of Home Affairs said this month: “To the concerns raised by solar providers, government policy is settled and consistent.

“Bermuda needs a growing renewable sector and a fair deal for the grid-reliant household that cannot install panels.

“Charges that reflect how each customer actually uses the grid serve that fairness.

“At the same time, solar customers have contended for years with a feed-in tariff held low by a flawed calculation at the outset.

“The public cannot be made to carry the cost of poor regulation, or of mistakes that yield higher prices on them.

“Fair charges and fair compensation must move together.”

Neither the RA nor the Ministry of Home Affairs responded to questions on the petition by press time.