Acting CEO Roger Tongue

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua — The Antigua Public Utilities Authority’s monthly fuel bill nearly doubled from $11 million in January to $21.8 million in July amid rising international fuel prices.

“2026 has been a particularly challenging year for the authority,” acting CEO Roger Tongue said during a news conference Wednesday.

APUA’s fuel costs fell slightly to $10 million in February before increasing to $12 million in March. They then surged to $19.4 million in April, stood at $17 million in May and climbed to $19 million in June.

“As you can see, in the first quarter, our fuel orders were fairly stable,” Tongue said. “But with the advent of the Iran war, there was an extreme spike and volatility in the commodities marketplace, and that affected the cost of the fuel that we purchased.”

APUA uses diesel and heavy fuel oil to operate its electricity generators. Tongue said the prices of both fuels increased significantly.

“Those costs escalated exponentially, resulting in that increase,” he said.

Despite the higher expenses, APUA initially maintained its fuel variation charge at 55 cents per kilowatt-hour because officials expected the international price increase to be temporary.

However, Tongue said fuel prices remained elevated and APUA’s overall expenses continued at levels that were not anticipated in its 2026 budget.

The calculated fuel variation rate should have increased to 66 cents in April and 88 cents in May, according to Tongue. APUA instead retained the 55-cent charge in April before increasing it to 70 cents in May and 80 cents in June.

“We’ve tried to subsidize a bit and ease the effect of these increased costs that the public would bear,” Tongue said.

He said the authority would continue monitoring fuel prices and adjust the fuel variation charge when costs decline.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: APUA’s Monthly Fuel Bill Nearly Doubles to $21.8 Million.