Prepaid electricity service for Jamaicans by year-end

A new prepaid billing system for electricity service will be available in Jamaica by the end of the year.

Light and power company Jamaica Public Service (JPS) says with the prepaid billing system customers will be able to pay a set price for a fixed period of service.

The programme has already started on a pilot basis in the community of Portmore, located on the outskirts of the Corporate Area in the neighbouring parish of St Catherine.

Kelly Tomblin, CEO of JPS, said the company will use information from the pilot project to prepare for the islandwide expansion.

"We wanted to get it in and piloted before our Customer Information System upgrade. We will be able to roll it out after the pilot, we think in the fourth quarter islandwide. We are excited for customers," she said.

Tomblin said with the customer being in charge of how much electricity to use on a prepaid basis, it would put customers "in charge" and no longer at risk of being disconnected by the JPS for failure to pay their bills.

- CMC