Cayman Islands Utilities

In this section we explain how you go about connecting up your utilities (electricity and/or gas, and water) in Grand Cayman. We discuss what you need, how much it will cost and where you can find them. We then explain how the gas stations work and what the current price is for petrol.

Electricity
Caribbean Utilities Company Ltd. (CUC) is the sole provider of electricity to Grand Cayman. The company has its corporate headquarters and a cash office on North Sound Road in the Industrial Park and they have a cash office in the West Shore Center (Pink Plaza) on West Bay Road. Opening hours at both cash offices is 8.30am-4pm, Monday-Friday and the West Shore Center branch is also open Saturdays from 8.30am-12noon. To obtain electricity service, property owners are required to show proof of ownership and a photo ID; no deposit is required for property owners. Property renters are required to pay a deposit, provide a rental agreement or lease and take their passport or driver’s licence along for photo ID. The standard deposit is CI$100 per bedroom for residential homes, apartments and condos under 1,100 sq ft (except on Seven Mile Beach), and CI$500 for all other apartments and condos and apartments and condos on Seven Mile Beach.

Cayman runs on a 110v electricity system with three-pin plugs. However, the outlets are designed to accommodate a two-pin American plug (see picture this section). This means appliances from the United Kingdom or Europe will not work in Cayman, but American appliances will. Monthly electric bills will vary depending on the size of your house/condo/apartment, your lifestyle, how often you run your air conditioning, the efficiency of your air conditioning unit, the age of the property and how well the property is insulated, among other factors. It is important to note that the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) and regular maintenance of your air conditioning unit can make a big difference in kWh consumption and your monthly electric bill. The lower your Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER), the more power you will consume. A SEER of 12 for example, will consume more than a SEER of 14 or higher. Getting your air conditioning unit serviced regularly will ultimately save you money.

The base cost of electricity as of June 2011 is CI$0.1039 per kWh for residential customers, and then there is a monthly facility charge fee of CI$5.12 and a licensing fee of 0.005 cents per kWh which applies only to usage over 1,000 kWh. However, if you factor in the fuel surcharge (which is added as a separate line item and varies from month to month), the cost per kWh is approximately CI$0.3486 (as of June 2011). The fuel surcharge increased in July 2010 when the Government increased duty on fuel from CI$0.50 to CI$0.75 per imperial gallon. The fuel cost fluctuates with the global price of oil and the cost of fuel is passed down to the consumer after a two-month lag. For example, if fuel prices decrease in July, the decreased fuel rate will be passed through to customers on their September bills. Similarly, if fuel prices increase in September, the increased fuel rate will be applied to customers’ bills in November.

To put it all into perspective, usage of 1,000 kWh per month would cost approximately CI$348.60 and usage of 1,500 kWh would cost CI$522.90 (based on the June 2011 rate). The cost of electricity is the same Island-wide and does not fluctuate depending on the time of day. You can download customer service forms from www.cuc-cayman.com.

Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. (CUC)
457 North Sound Road
Tel: (345) 949 4300
Customer Service Fax: (345) 945 1218
Customer Service Email: service@cuc.ky

Gas - Household
Propane is a non-toxic gas used as a clean burning alternative source of power for a wide range of appliances, water heaters, outdoor lighting and more for residents and businesses. The cost of a 100 pound cylinder is CI$98 and can be ordered by phone from Home Gas Ltd or stopping in to their offices. The 20 pound cylinders used for barbecuing can be found at almost all of the gas stations in Cayman, but you must have an empty cylinder to swap. The cost is about CI$39. For delivery of propane the cost is CI$4.80 per gallon.

Home Gas, Ltd.
Citrus Grove Bldg., 106 Goring Avenue (GT)
Tel: (345) 949 7474 Fax: (345) 949 0845
Home Gas supplies propane gas for household and business use and also offers state-of-the-art appliances and water heaters to help residents and businesses significantly reduce their energy costs on the Islands. Their services are available in Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.

Go Gas, Ltd.
Tel: (345) 927 6951
They install the wiring needed in a house or apartment so that propane gas can be used.

Petrol & Diesel
In Cayman, there are numerous Esso and Texaco petrol stations, most of them with convenience shops selling toiletries, groceries, water, gas cylinders and snacks (incidentally, they are often the only places open on a Sunday where you can get essential supplies). The average cost of full service premium petrol at the pumps is now around CI$5.78 per gallon, although prices vary from one station to another. Self-serve petrol is about CI$.10 cheaper, while diesel is around CI$5.70 per gallon (July 2011). At the time of going to press the cost of premium petrol in Florida was in the region of US$3.70 per gallon and in the UK it costs Ł1.36 per litre (CI$7.98 per gallon).

Please note that the petrol pump nozzles on both diesel and petrol are the same size in Cayman, unlike in Europe and the US, where they are different sizes. Therefore, it is quite possible to mistakenly put diesel in a petrol-run car. You can view the cost of petrol at each station on www.planning.gov.ky (look under petroleum inspectorate). The (import) duty component of gasoline is 75 cents per imperial gallon and 85 cents for diesel.

The quality of gasoline sold in Cayman is equivalent to a mid-grade unleaded (octane level 89) and a super premium unleaded (octane level 93) often sold in the US. Some high performance cars, particularly those with sophisticated emissions control equipment, namely a catalytic converter, will experience problems (it will clog up) if they are not run on the highest octane fuel available. Diesel is another issue; car manufacturers design their engines to run on fuels found in the country where the cars will be imported. For example, Europe and Japan have low emission standards and require that all diesel sold has a sulphur content of 10ppm. The US also has Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) of about 15ppm. Cayman, on the other hand, imports its diesel primarily for electricity generation, and the sulphur content is anywhere from 500ppm to 5000ppm. Where this has been causing problems in Cayman is when vehicles designed to run on ULSD are run on our high sulphur diesel instead. For what it is worth, most low sulphur vehicles have a ‘reburn’ system to keep emissions low. Diesel that did not burn on its first compression gets recycled in the engine for a second burn. This second burn has a high amount of sulphur that can clog the EGR valve. It forms hard deposits, the injectors then get clogged and eventually it causes a loss of power and smoking.

The only other brand of fuel available in Cayman is Valvtect Marine Fuel sold exclusively by Scott’s Landing at the Barcadere Marina (end of North Sound Road). They sell the highest quality gasoline and the lowest possible ppm diesel which is then treated with ValTech to improve performance (the cost is no more than at other pumps), and we have learned firsthand that their diesel can significantly reduce the sulphur problem. Failing that, seriously think twice before importing your fabulous diesel car from Europe, or ask the manufacturer for a diesel vehicle that is designed for the Caribbean and South America. This same problem obviously applies to boats, for which Valvtect Marine Fuel is primarily intended.

Water
Cayman Water (Tel: (345) 945 4277) and the Water Authority (Tel: (345) 949-2837) supply Grand Cayman with quality water. In the case of both companies, water is extracted from 250-foot-deep wells located throughout the Island. The water that is extracted is essentially seawater and so has to be treated via the reverse osmosis process to produce drinking water. This process, together with the addition of three fluoride-free chemicals, makes the water safe to drink straight from the tap. However, it does sometimes taste a bit of chlorine so you may want to use a filtration system (i.e. Brita) to enhance the taste. You can get carbon refills at Priced Right.

If you are renting an apartment, the water bill must be in the landlord’s name, however a duplicate bill will be sent to you directly for payment. Landlords may also ask for a water deposit. Of the two water companies, Cayman Water serves the Seven Mile Beach and West Bay areas, while the Water Authority serves the rest of Grand Cayman. They both require you to fill out an application, present your Land Registry form (which proves you own the house) and pay a CI$80 non-refundable connection fee. Also, make sure the previous owners have paid the last water bill, as having an outstanding balance on your account will complicate things. Water is not cheap, so also make sure you don’t run up a huge bill by having a leaking tap or running toilet. At the Water Authority, the first 12 cubic meters (or 3,200 US gallons) will be charged at CI$4.01/mł. Anything above that will cost CI$5.10/mł. In addition, there is also an energy charge of CI$1.11/m3 and a CI$5 meter rental fee per month. An average water bill for two people in a two-bedroom house using 9mł per month, is CI$51. The Water Authority’s website provides information on outages, tips on saving water, water and sewage application forms, meter reading request forms, online fault reporting and an offer for free water-saving shower heads (www.waterauthority.ky). For after hours emergencies call (345) 946 HELP.

If your home is on cistern or well water, you will probably want to drink bottled water or will need to boil the water before drinking. There are water companies on the Island that can deliver bottled water right to your home. Flowers Bottled Water (Tel: (345) 949 8688) supplies five-gallon water bottles for CI$6 each and you can rent or buy cooler stands from them too. Alternatively, many supermarkets sell spring water by the case, as does the wholesale department at Jacques Scott.