More than 400 Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) customers have been reconnected since the government launched its newest assistance initiative last week, according to BEC Chairman Michael Moss.
During the opening of the Free National Movement's (FNM) Elizabeth constituency office on Yamacraw Hill Road on Thursday, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham pledged that the government will offer assistance to struggling families who were without electricity, marking the third time the government has put a special program in place to assist delinquent customers.
Moss told The Nassau Guardian that 420 customers signed up for the assistance plan as of yesterday morning and most were reconnected.
When the government first launched an electricity assistance initiative more than two years ago, around 400 accounts in total were reconnected, according to officials.
"We not only had customers signing up at [our head office] on Friday but at our Mall at Marathon outlet --that is open until 6 p.m. and is open on Saturday untill 12 p.m. -- we had quite a number of persons going there to sign up on Friday [and] Saturday and Monday," Moss said.
"I would think by the end of [Tuesday] somewhere in excess of 500 to 600 persons would have signed up for the plan."
The prime minister said last week that customers will be required to pay their current electricity bill and to pay something on the overdue portion.  He added that reconnection fees will be waived.
"Twice before during this long great recession we have put special programs in place to assist families to have their electricity supply reconnected," Ingraham said.
"The Department of Social Services continues to help many Bahamian families in this area every day."
Assistant Director of Social Services Kim Sawyer said yesterday she expects an influx of applications reaching The Department of Social Services for assistance with electricity bills.
Sawyer was not able to provide up to date figures for this month but explained that 23 checks were issued to BEC since February 2.
However, she said the outreach locations usually receive an influx of applications when BEC engages in disconnection exercises.
The Department of Social Services issued 166 checks in November 2011; 123 in December 2011 and 120 last month, according to Sawyer.
"Those checks were to assist persons in arrears and while some of those people would have still been connected some were disconnected," Sawyer told The Nassau Guardian.
"If someone's bill was $1,000, in that case the maximum we would give is $600, but we would try to determine if they have the ability to pay any of the difference."
Sawyer said before the government's assistance initiative, customers who were not able to pay the difference on their bills after assistance would not be reconnected and that money paid to BEC would sit on their accounts.
Up to February, 5,141 BEC customers were without electricity, according to officials.
State Minister for the Environment Phenton Neymour said recently the recorded number of delinquent accounts has consistently been around 5,000 over the last few years, suggesting that that figure consisted of "accounts that may not be in use".
He claimed the figure of actual individuals without electricity is lower than that.
The Progressive Liberal Party has suggested that the latest BEC initiative announced by the government is a Free National Movement election ploy.

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