Over 250 Households Join BVIEC Solar
BVIEC says 257 households have now enrolled in the Solar Technology Energy Programme (STEP), up from 203 in May 2025. The utility and the Ministry of Communication and Works cover half the cost, with participants financing the remainder over three to five years and systems insured during the repayment period.
More than 250 Virgin Islands households have signed up for the British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation's (BVIEC) Solar Technology Energy Programme (STEP), BVIEC public relations manager Kamal Haynes announced on Thursday, October 23, 2025. Haynes revealed the figures during an interview on the Ujoma programme with Cromwell Smith (also known as 'Edju En Ka') on ZBVI 780 AM, saying participation rose from 203 on May 29 to 257 in the most recent count. "We saw numbers, jumping from May 29th from 203... to 257, this was the latest figures I would have received last week," he told listeners.
STEP is designed to provide Virgin Islands homeowners with solar power systems at little or no upfront cost. Under the partnership between the Ministry of Communication and Works and BVIEC, the utility covers 50 percent of the overall system cost. The remaining 50 percent is financed to the customer, with repayment terms typically set between three and five years.
According to Haynes, all installed systems are insured for the duration of the repayment period, so customers are compensated and damaged items replaced if problems occur. Haynes described the recent uptick in applicants as significant, noting that STEP differs from shorter-term or lower-benefit initiatives because households must make a collective decision to participate. "Households have to come together to decide, well, this is the step you want to move forward with, and it's like, to get this amount of people interested in that short period of time, it spoke volumes to the interest," he said.
Despite the growth in sign-ups, Haynes warned that misconceptions persist about how the programme operates and called for more marketing and public education. "They heard a buzz regarding Solar and BVIEC, but they didn't quite understand what it entailed," he said, adding that clearer information would help more homeowners evaluate the offer.
For BVI residents, STEP presents an opportunity to lower household electricity costs, increase energy resilience, and reduce reliance on imported fuel — benefits that are particularly relevant in a territory prone to power disruptions from severe weather. Residents interested in STEP should contact BVIEC or the Ministry of Communication and Works for current application details, eligibility criteria and assessment procedures.
The announcement underscores growing local interest in renewable energy solutions as the territory pursues greater energy security and sustainability.
Primary source: VINO