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And while no one knows what to expect at Telemedia, at BEL antsy consumers want to know if rates are going down. And to some extent, that expectation is based on the much reported fact that BEL owes consumers over 50 million dollars. That's because in 2009 - the PUC ordered a decrease in the electricity rate and BEL got an injunction to block it. Since then, the meter has been running for over two years. So we asked Chairman of the PUC John Avery yesterday, should consumers expect a rebate automatically? He said it's not that simple:

Jules Vasquez
"You cannot say with any certainty that rates is going down because we will get back a rebate for when the reference cost went down and it was not reflected in the rates."

John Avery, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission
"If you go by that BEL owe consumers a lot of money. Yes BEL owed consumers some money base on that regime. However BEL did not collect all the revenues for certain things that we felt they deserve in 2008 because there was a very drastic reduction in the sale of power. In other words we had a lot of rain, we had this TD16. We had a lot of things that year that resulted in the sale of power being much less than we anticipated. For certain part of the rates, certain part of the revenues that BEL was expected to collect, they didn't collect and so whereas BEL owe consumers base on that regime for cost of power consumers owe BEL for other items. So by the time you net these off and unless we do a rate review I can't say what I would be. It will be less that 10 million Jules. Now when we do another rate review we will look at the investments we've made, we will look at the money we receive and we will determine if maybe you got a little less and a little more than you deserve and we would make an adjustment going forward in the news rates. We have never said that BEL owes people 50 million dollars."

Jules Vasquez
"You had told me that Mr. Chairman."

John Avery, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission
"This is something that BEL keeps repeating."

Jules Vasquez
"You have said that to me recently in April you said outside the court."

John Avery, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission
"Outside the courtroom I told you that base on that decision that was made there were certain things but I explain to you that from that time that consumers have certain things and BEL didn't collect certain amount of revenues in areas and so there is no one who can really say who owes who what until we do a review."

Next week, we'll have more from Avery as he discusses that famous statement attributed to Stan Marshall about who smokes what.

But it's fitting that we end tonight talking about utilities because the biggest news of the day - of the week and possibly the year so far has been the re-assumption of control of BRL by the Ashcroft alliance. It is huge news because it was so sudden - between the reading of the judgement and the re-assumption of control, it was effected literally within half an hour - and hardly anyone saw it coming.

But it is in effect tonight and the newly restored Ashcroft - Allied board of directors is meeting at this hour at Telemedia Headquarters. At 5:00 pm, Chief Operating Officer Karen Bevans was sent home and told to wait for further orders while Executive Chairman Net Vasquez left the minute the judgment was handed down. The Prime Minister says government intends to appeal but was at least satisfied that the accommodation agreement - which forced the takeover in the first place - has been set aside.

Importantly, we have learned during this newscast that is not the position of the Ashcroft Alliance. Not unexpectedly they seem to hold that the Accommodation Agreement is still in effect. This will make next week, even more interesting. Whatever happens we'll be there…