Some customers are increasing their electrical load without notifying Guyana Power and Light (GPL), contributing to overloaded transformers and feeders as demand rises across the national grid, the company said.
Head of GPL Execuitive Management Committee Kesh Nandlall explained that the company’s customer base has grown from 201,077 in 2020 to about 250,000 in 2026, while consumption has also risen as more households add air-conditioning units and other high-load appliances.
He noted that customers sometimes upgrade their usage without informing GPL, making it difficult for the utility to properly assess and upgrade infrastructure.
“There are a lot of customers that are increasing their load and they’re not applying for that increase,” Nandlall stressed, adding that both customer growth and rising consumption among existing customers were driving the strain.
GPL reported that recent peak demand has reached 257 megawatts (MW), up from 221 MW last year. The company currently has 265.6 MW of available capacity and expects an additional five MW to come on stream by Wednesday, bringing the total to about 270 MW.
However, GPL maintained that the pressure on the system is not solely a generation issue, noting that overloaded transmission and distribution networks, rising consumption and limited spinning reserve are also making the grid more vulnerable to disturbances.
The company added that it has boosted generation capacity by 230 MW since 2020 and is investing approximately US$800 million in expansion works.
Despite rising fuel costs, GPL noted that electricity rates have not increased since 2020, with Government intervention helping to stabilise them.
The company is urging customers to notify it when increasing their load so infrastructure can be properly assessed and upgraded.
