The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has introduced a new system of notifying customers about amounts due on their accounts, using the latest technology.

JPS customers can now receive reminders about their electricity bills, via an SMS Automated Notification System (text message), four days after the due date for bills, while billing information via e-mails are sent out up to 15 days before the due date of the bill. However, less than 30 per cent of customers are currently reached by the new system.

Customer-friendly

According to Ramsay McDonald, manager, customer service at JPS, the SMS Automated Notification System was implemented in August following a customer service survey conducted earlier this year.

Emails have been ongoing over the past two years, but this was not widely advertised as not many customers had email addresses.

"It is a more customer-friendly approach and it is something that is long overdue, so that we can ensure that our customers are fully up to date with what is happening on their accounts," Mr. McDonald said.

The aim of the new service he pointed out, is to ensure that collections are streamlined and to reduce the number of disconnections.

Three providers

Additionally, Mr. McDonald said plans are in place to facilitate credit card payments via the customer care centre by year end.

Since the implementation of the SMS Automated System, between 3,000 and 4,000 messages have been sent out daily to residential customers whose bills are four days overdue and outstanding balances of over $1,500.

The SMS service is available on three major mobile service providers: Cable & Wireless, Digicel and MiPhone.

How to sign up

Call the JPS at 1-888-call-JPS (225-577) or send e-mails to calljps@jpsco.com.