Electricity costs in the USVI

I guess it's better to know up front - that Paradise is not free....

One little surprise that many people get when they move down here without doing enough research or asking the right questions is the exorbitant price of power here in the USVI!! I think on average we're at about $.5 a killowatt - I think in the states it's about $.1!!!

So to make that "real" - for a 2000 sq ft house using NO AC - our power bill is between $250 - $350 a month. If we use AC (we have it but ONLY use it in our office when it gets too hot during the day...) - it can be DOUBLE that.

For my 1200 sq. ft. condo - my power bill when I am occupying it is about $65 a month. I rent my unit out to vacationers - and it stays booked all winter (when no AC is needed, by the way!). I have an inefficient "floor-type" AC in the bedroom for statesiders who think they can't live without AC. My bill in the WINTER with vacationers here is $250 - $300 a month. Believe me - you learn to be conservative if you live here and are paying those bills!!!

Conserving is a good thing - regardless of the cost of electricity. And going green is something we are all trying to do. Solar water heaters, solar panels for the pool pump, wind generators....these are all becoming very popular here. And learning to live without a few things is not a bad idea either. Candles are nice, you know, and cold showers in the summer feel really good!!