John Myers Jr., Staff Reporter
DIRECTOR-GENERAL of the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) J. Paul Morgan disclosed yesterday that the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has admitted to issuing abnormal electricity bills to about 130,000 customers.
"The JPS has told us that just about 130,000 customers have had some abnormality in their bills," he said. "Of that 130,000, they tell us that about 33,000 have experienced high bills so one would assume that the 100,000 or so would have experienced low bills."
Mr. Morgan, who was speaking at a press briefing held at the OUR's New Kingston offices, warned that customers could experience the same problems with their estimated December bills. He explained that estimated bills are prepared from the average of the two previous bills, which customers get every other month.
INQUIRY NEEDED
However, Pearnel Charles, a former minister of public utilities in the Jamaica Labour Party government of the 1980s, is calling for a public inquiry into the operations of the light and power company. "We need an independent inquiry into the current status of power supply in Jamaica and the reason for this ... top-heavy cost which is being slapped on the consumer," he said.
Mr. Morgan said the OUR had approved an application from the JPS to extend the deadline for the submission of a report explaining the reasons for the exorbitant bills of 32 customers considered to be the worst of the complaints. He said the OUR had extended the deadline to January 11, three days less than the January 14 extension sought by the electricity utility.
"It is important that the analysis is thorough, it's important that we get to the bottom of the problem," Mr. Morgan said.
"For us at this time, speed should not be the priority. I think thoroughness, accuracy (and) the level of details that we want has to be the priority otherwise I don't think we are going to solve the problem."
The JPS was originally mandated to submit the report on Monday. However, the company wrote to the OUR outlining that it was unable to furnish the information requested in the allotted time.
INCORRECT METRE READINGS
Mr. Morgan said incorrect metre readings was the reason for the abnormality in customers bills in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan which hit the island in September. This, he said was based on a preliminary assessment conducted by the OUR.
David Geddes, director of consumer and public affairs at the OUR, told The Gleaner on Monday that a preliminary analysis of bills submitted by disgruntled customers to the utility watchdog had found an increase in consumption levels. But "the kind of consumption that we are seeing in the 32 worst cases is not feasible," he stated.
Mr. Geddes said the abnormality was a result
of "either the reading in November wasn't accurate,
or there was problem with some other readings prior
to that."
