Power, water and internet for your business

Electricity comes from EBS, water from SWM, and internet and phone from Telesur or Digicel. For each one: start early, because a new connection goes through an approved installer and takes weeks. Since late August 2026 EBS has been switching off power in rotation in and around Paramaribo because generating capacity is short, so plan for backup power if your business cannot stop.

On this page (13)

• Who supplies what
• A power connection for your business
• Electricity tariffs for businesses
• Load shedding in 2026 and how to keep running
• Generating your own power and feeding back
• Energy policy: what is coming
• Water: a connection with SWM
• Internet and telephony
• Step plan: utilities for new premises
• What if...
• Checklist
• Sources
• Frequently asked questions

Who supplies what

Service	Company or body	Contact
Electricity and gas	N.V. Energiebedrijven Suriname (EBS)	Tel. 175, Noorderkerkstraat 2-14, Paramaribo; nvebs.com
Energy regulator	Energy Authority Suriname (EAS)	Tel. 554000, Kristalstraat 1, Paramaribo; eas.sr
Drinking water	N.V. Surinaamsche Waterleiding Maatschappij (SWM)	Tel. 471414; meter readings 170; swm.sr
Fixed line, fibre, mobile, data lines	Telesur (state-owned)	Business support 24/7; telesur.sr/zakelijk
Mobile and internet	Digicel Suriname, business through Digicel Business	digicelgroup.com/sr
Data centre and cloud	Datasur (founded by Telesur)	datasur.sr
Telecom regulator	Telecommunications Authority Suriname (TAS)	tas.sr

More institutions with addresses: Business resources.

A power connection for your business

EBS works only through EBS-approved installers; the list is on the EBS website. The installer designs the installation, files the application and has the installation inspected. Get in touch during the fit-out, not when you want to open.

1. Work out how much capacity you need. Add up air conditioners, cold rooms, ovens, compressors and machines. For a shop or office with several air conditioners a 2- or 3-phase connection at 220 V is usual; a single phase at 127 V is meant for small users.
2. Large user? File a capacity request first. EBS uses it to assess whether enough capacity is available at your location. You can do this before the installation is built: through your installer, by letter to Noorderkerkstraat, by email or online.
3. Have the installation built by an approved installer. Choose an overhead or underground connection.
4. Inspection. EBS inspects the installation.
5. Quote. You receive a quote with the connection costs, including a deposit.
6. Registration and payment. Register the connection in your company's name and pay the quote; EBS then installs the meter.

• Temporary connection for construction or an event: also through an approved installer.
• Upgrade: more capacity or a switch from 127 V to 220 V.
• Taking over premises? Have the connection transferred to your company. If the meter has been removed for more than a year, a re-inspection follows; if the installation no longer complies, a revision is needed.

EBS does not publish fixed connection prices or lead times; they are in your quote. Ask your installer for an estimate beforehand, including any grid extension.

Electricity tariffs for businesses

EBS charges a fixed monthly base charge, depending on the number of phases, plus a consumption charge per kWh. Businesses (non-household) pay a single rate per kWh, without the cheaper household bands.

Category	Monthly base charge	Consumption per kWh
Low-voltage non-household, 1 / 2 / 3 phase	SRD 335.16 / 670.32 / 718.20	SRD 4.820
High-voltage commercial or industrial (large user)	SRD 798, plus SRD 26.909 per kVA	Off-peak SRD 2.653; peak SRD 3.960
Billboards	According to connection	SRD 4.820
Social institutions	As non-household	SRD 4.520; vulnerable customers get 50% off through the EAS
For comparison: households	SRD 211.78 to 349.13	SRD 1.971 (first 400 kWh) to SRD 4.680 (above 1,500 kWh)

• Peak and off-peak (high voltage): on weekdays peak runs from 9:00 to 23:00, at weekends from 11:00 to 23:00. Move heavy processes to the night where you can.
• Power factor penalty: high-voltage customers with a power factor below 0.8 pay extra per kWh. Install compensation if needed.
• Status of the tariffs: these are the tariffs EBS publishes as valid since consumption month December 2024. In February 2025 EBS said tariffs were not being changed, and on 26 October 2026 the same overview was still online.
• Risk of increases: electricity in Suriname is subsidised. In February 2024 the government cited an average tariff of USD 0.04 per kWh against USD 0.12 to 0.15 in neighbouring countries, and its intention to phase out the subsidy gradually. Assume higher power prices in your business plan (Writing a business plan).

You can estimate your bill with the EBS consumption calculator. Submitting meter readings and paying is done through MyAccount on nvebs.com.

Load shedding in 2026 and how to keep running

On 25 August 2026 EBS announced that consumption in the dry season had risen far more than forecast and that it had no reserve capacity left. Since then parts of the EPAR grid area (Paramaribo, Wanica, Para and parts of Commewijne and Saramacca) have been switched off in rotation, each time for at least three hours. According to Natural Resources Minister Abiamofo, peak demand in early September was about 280 MW against 254 MW available, and demand was some 10% higher than in 2025. The government is not drawing down the Afobaka reservoir faster, to avoid a bigger shortfall in late 2026 or early 2027.

• Check your connection. EBS has a load shedding page where you can see with your connection or meter number whether you are in that day's schedule. Being in the schedule does not mean you will certainly be switched off; not being in it is no guarantee either.
• Water is affected too. In October 2026 SWM reported low pressure and interruptions in north Paramaribo because the Blauwgrond production station lost power during load shedding.
• Planned maintenance is separate from load shedding; you find it on EBS power outages.

Your continuity options

Solution	Good for	Watch out
UPS	Tills, computers, server, router, alarm: minutes to a few hours	Batteries wear faster with frequent discharge; test monthly
Generator	Refrigeration, air conditioning, production: hours on end	Have an approved installer fit a changeover switch so you never feed back into the grid. Fuel, maintenance, noise and exhaust
Solar panels with battery	Daytime use and part of the evening, lower bill	Higher investment; solar panels without a battery usually also shut down during an outage
Shifting consumption	Less risk of shortage, lower bill on high voltage	In 2024 EBS named peak hours of about 11:00 to 15:00 and 19:00 to 22:00

Work out whether backup power or solar pays off with ROI and payback and Break-even calculator. Report damage from outages or voltage spikes to EBS through its damage claim procedure; insure stock and equipment (Business insurance).

Generating your own power and feeding back

The Electricity Act and the Energy Authority Suriname Act, both of 1 March 2016, give customers the right to generate renewable power for their own use, feed the surplus into the grid and net it against their consumption (annually: what EBS supplies minus what you feed back). The exact technical conditions and settlement are to be set out in the Electricity Sector Plan. Pending that, EBS connects self-generators with a capacity of up to 63 amperes.

1. Choose an installer from the list of EBS-approved PV installers.
2. Submit the application form (at an EBS service centre, digitally or on paper).
3. The EBS inspection department assesses the application.
4. If approved, EBS fits a two-way meter between your generating installation and your consumption. Read the general and connection conditions for self-generators beforehand.

Larger generation for third parties or the grid (a solar park, for example) goes through the EAS. Since September 2026 every proposal first gets a pre-screening on criteria such as technical feasibility, reliability, cost and contribution to grid stability. More on sustainable business: Sustainable business.

Energy policy: what is coming

• Electricity Sector Plan 2024-2044. The EAS presented the plan on 15 May 2025: a twenty-year vision, a technical plan for expanding generation and grids over five years, and a regulatory plan for supervision and tariffs. The government approved the plan in 2026. The EAS wants it turned into binding rules and performance requirements now.
• More capacity and diversification. The government wants to move from heavy fuel oil to gas and solar; three solar power plants were added in the past year. The grid is being extended to East Suriname. The goal is "Energy for All by 2030".
• Interior. In December 2025 a policy framework for electrifying the interior was validated with UNDP. In mid-2027 the BIO SWEET project starts, bringing electricity and drinking water to 26 communities. Businesses in the interior (tourism, mining, farming) will need their own generation for now.
• Tariffs. Phasing out subsidies means higher tariffs over time; follow EBS and EAS announcements and see New laws and rules and Economy in figures.

Water: a connection with SWM

If your premises are in an SWM supply area, you apply for a commercial connection for an office, business or shop. The procedure is the same as for a house connection:

1. Approved installer. An SWM-approved installer makes an installation drawing and submits it; you pay the application fee.
2. Checks and inspections. SWM checks the site, carries out an interim inspection before walls are closed and a final inspection once windows and doors are in.
3. Application at customer service with the approval letter and a copy of your ID or passport.
4. Quote for the construction costs within three weeks, valid for 30 days. The deposit for a commercial connection is SRD 155.
5. Construction after payment, at least six weeks. Keep the work area clear of weeds and obstacles.

• Tariff: commercial connections are in tariff group 41; during construction the building tap tariff (group 60) applies. SWM does not publish the price per cubic metre on its website; ask customer service.
• Costs: meter rent of SRD 55 a month for most tariff groups, 5% VAT on water since July 2024, a minimum amount per bill.
• Paying: the bill comes out on the 25th and must be paid by the 24th of the following month, or SRD 275 collection costs are added. You can pay at the cash desk, by bank, through HOP, Uni5Pay+ or Mopé (see Accepting payments).
• Water pressure: with low pressure or interruptions a storage tank (durotank) and a booster pump help. SWM offers durotank cleaning.
• Outside the SWM area you depend on your own well or rainwater. Have the water tested; SWM has a laboratory for water analysis. For food businesses, safe water is essential.

Internet and telephony

Telesur runs the fixed network and is rolling out fibre; according to Telesur, about 70% of Paramaribo had been moved to fibre by late 2025, and speed complaints now come mainly from copper lines. Business packages (October 2026):

Package	Speed	Price per month
Telesur business fibre, Basic	Up to 400 Mbps download and upload	SRD 1,124.96 excl. VAT, 2-year contract
Telesur business fibre, higher speed	Up to 1 Gbps download and upload	SRD 1,899.95 excl. VAT, 2-year contract

• Applying through the application form (emailed to customer service), a Telesur branch or MyTelesur. A standard installation currently has no connection fee; custom work gets a quote, and you pay a contractor for extra digging. Allow four to six weeks.
• Extras for businesses: fixed IP address, data lines and VPN between sites, international data links, SIP trunks and IP phone systems. Business support is available 24/7 and Telesur publishes outages online.
• International capacity: in November 2025 Telesur and Orange Wholesale signed for 100 Gbps of capacity over the Kanawa submarine cable (Paramaribo-Albina-Cayenne-Martinique), alongside existing links.
• Interior: by late December 2025 Telesur had 4G in more than thirty communities in the interior, and Telesur is modernising 74 masts. Useful for lodges, mines and shops in the interior; test coverage on site.
• Digicel offers mobile and internet, for businesses through Digicel Business. Compare price, coverage at your location and contract length.

Agreements on outages

Standard packages usually carry no firm availability guarantee. If your business cannot do without internet (payment terminals, till, call centre, work for foreign clients):

• ask for a service level agreement: availability as a percentage, response and repair times, compensation;
• add a second connection from another provider or a 4G router as backup;
• put your router, switch and payment terminal on a UPS, or the internet goes down during load shedding too.

If you work for European clients, they increasingly ask about security and continuity: EU rules for Surinamese suppliers.

Data centre and cloud

Datasur, founded by Telesur in 2014, is a local data centre certified to ISO 27001 and ISO 22301, for hosting, colocation and cloud. In September 2025 Datasur signed a memorandum of understanding with Cloud Carib for a "sovereign cloud" in which data stays in Suriname, and for regional disaster recovery. If you choose a foreign cloud, check where your data is held and how you keep working during an internet outage.

Step plan: utilities for new premises

1. Before you rent or buy: ask the landlord about existing connections (phases, capacity, water connection, fibre), unpaid bills and whether the meters can be transferred. Check on the EBS page whether the area is often in the load shedding schedule. See Buying land and property.
2. List your consumption: air conditioners, refrigeration, machines, lighting. Your installer uses it to choose the capacity.
3. Hire approved installers for power (EBS-approved) and water (SWM-approved), and file a capacity request straight away for heavy use.
4. Order internet as soon as the address is fixed; allow four to six weeks.
5. Plan backup power: a UPS for the till and network, and a generator or solar with battery if refrigeration or production must keep running.
6. Arrange construction or temporary connections if you are fitting out.
7. Transfer or apply in your company's name, with a KKF extract and ID.
8. Set up payment and put the due dates in your cash plan (Cash flow planner).
9. Permits for the rest of your business, such as building, environmental and business licences: Business licences.

What if...

• ...my equipment is damaged after a power failure? Take photos, keep the broken parts and the invoice, and file a damage claim with EBS. Also notify your insurer.
• ...my bill is suddenly much higher? Compare with your own meter reading. Often an earlier estimated reading has been corrected. Submit the correct reading and ask for a recalculation.
• ...EBS says there is not enough capacity at my location? Ask what grid extension is needed and what it costs, and cost out your own generating installation as an alternative.
• ...I run a lodge or mining camp in the interior? There is usually no EBS grid. Combine solar, batteries and a generator, and follow the interior electrification projects.
• ...SWM does not serve my area? Ask whether an extension of the main is planned; the cost of a main pipe is charged separately.
• ...my internet is down for days? Report it and get a fault number; with an SLA you can claim compensation. Keep a mobile backup.

Checklist

• Consumption list made and capacity set with an approved installer
• Capacity request filed with EBS (for heavy use)
• Power connection inspected and registered in the company's name
• Water connection (tariff group 41) or own water source tested
• Fibre ordered, plus a backup connection
• UPS for till, router and payment terminal
• Generator or solar with battery for refrigeration and production
• EBS load shedding page bookmarked, connection number to hand
• Power and water costs with higher tariffs included in your plan
• Insurance for damage from outages and voltage spikes

Sources

• EBS: electricity tariffs (valid from December 2024)
• EBS: applying for a connection
• EBS: self-generation and feed-in
• EBS: tariffs not increased (11 February 2025)
• GFC Nieuws: EBS announces load shedding (25 August 2026)
• De West: Minister Abiamofo on the shortfall (3 September 2026)
• Suriname Herald: checking load shedding online (15 September 2026)
• Suriname Herald: load shedding hits water supply (14 October 2026)
• EBS: peak hours and saving energy (August 2024)
• Government: energy subsidy and average tariff (February 2024)
• EAS: Electricity Sector Plan launched (15 May 2025)
• EAS: energy crisis and implementing the ESP (August 2026)
• EAS: pre-screening of energy proposals (September 2026)
• EAS: 50% discount for vulnerable customers
• Annual address 2027: drinking water and energy (30 September 2026)
• NH: interior energy policy validated (December 2025)
• SWM: applying for a connection
• SWM: payments and FAQ
• Telesur: business internet (October 2026)
• Telesur: business data connections
• De Ware Tijd: Telesur and Orange Wholesale (20 November 2025)
• Suriname Herald: 4G in the interior (27 December 2025)
• Suriname Herald: 74 masts modernised (September 2025)
• Datasur: about
• Datasur and Cloud Carib: sovereign cloud (September 2025)
• Digicel Suriname

Checked on 26 October 2026. Tariffs and load shedding change; check the current position with EBS, SWM and your telecom provider.