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

CUC is the sole provider of electricity to Grand Cayman. The company has offices in several places but the West Shore Centre (aka Pink Plaza) Cash Office on West Bay Road is the easiest to find. They also have offices at their Corporate Headquarters on North Sound Road, which is in Industrial Park. To obtain electricity service, property owners are not required to show proof of ownership. Property renters are required to pay a deposit as well as provide a rental agreement or lease and they must take their passport along for photo ID. The standard is CI$100 per room for residential accounts and condos/apartments less than 1,100sq ft, and CI$500 for condos/apartments over 1,100sq ft. In all instances take your passport along as they will want to take a copy of the photo page. Opening hours are 8.30am to 4pm, Monday to Fridays; and 8.30am to noon on Saturdays at the West Shore Centre Cash Office.

 Cayman runs on a 110v electricity system with three-pin plugs. However, the outlets are designed to accommodate a two-pin American plug. This means that any appliances from the United Kingdom or Europe will not work in Cayman but American appliances will. Electricity bills per month vary widely depending on the size of the house/condo/apartment, whether and how often and how cold you run your air conditioning and the efficiency of your air conditioning unit. For example, expect to pay approximately CI$150 per month for a non air conditioned two bedroom residence and CI$350 if it is air conditioned. A three to four bedroom residence, which is air conditioned, will cost at least CI$500 per month. You can download Customer Service forms from the Company’s website, as well as energy saving tips at www.cuc-cayman.com.

 The exact cost of electricity as of January 2008 is CI$0.1015 per kWh and a one-off monthly CI$5 meter charge. However, if you factor in the fuel surcharge, the cost per kWh is CI$0.2942. The fuel surcharge fluctuates with the global price of oil. The cost of electricity is the same Island-wide and does not fluctuate depending on the time of day.

Bottled gas is used for cooking in some homes and is available from Home Gas (Tel: (345) 949 7474). The cost is CI$92 per 100lb cylinder. The 20lb cylinders used for barbecuing can be found at most gas stations but you must have an empty cylinder to swap out. The cost is CI$35.

Water

Cayman Water (Tel: (345) 945 4277) and The Water Authority (Tel: (345) 949 6352) supply Grand Cayman with quality water. In the case of both companies, water is extracted from 250ft wells located throughout the Island. The water that is extracted is essentially seawater and so the water 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. However, we have found that it does sometimes taste a bit of chlorine, so you may want to use a filtration system (i.e. Britta). 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. Check with your landlord as to whether you should pay the water company, as some landlords choose to bill you and pay it directly themselves. Landlords may also ask for a deposit for the water. Of the two water companies, Cayman Water serves the Seven Mile Beach and West Bay areas and 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 then pay a CI$80 non-refundable connection fee. Also, make sure the previous owners have paid the last water bill or, as the new owners, having an outstanding balance on the account will complicate things. Water is not cheap so make sure you don’t run up a bill of hundreds of dollars 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/m³. Above that it will cost you CI$5.10/m³. An average water bill for two people in a two bedroom house, using 20m³ is CI$89 per month. The Water Authority’s website provides information on outage updates, tips on saving water, water and sewage application forms, meter reading requests, online fault reports and offers free water-saving shower heads.

 If your home is on cistern or well water you probably will want to drink bottled water, or you will need to boil the water before you drink it. There are water companies on the Island that can deliver bottled water right to your home. Flowers Bottled Water (Tel: (345) 949 8688) supplies water coolers and five gallon water bottles  It costs CI$5–$6 for a five gallon bottle and you can rent or buy cooler stands from them too. Alternatively, many supermarkets, Priced Right and Cost-U-Less sell spring water by the case as does the wholesale department at Jacques Scott.

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$4.10 per gallon although the price varies from one petrol station to another. Self-serve petrol is about CI$0.05 cheaper and diesel is about CI$4.50 per gallon. Gas stations usually like you to go in and pay before you pump until they get to know you. 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 petrol station on www.planning.gov.ky (look under petroleum inspectorate). 

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