Jamaican software developer launches light bill tracker app

According to Smith, who took less than one week to create the app, it allows the customer to estimate their monthly electricity bill including energy rate, fuel and IPP charges, foreign exchange fluctuations, taxes and early payment incentives.

“It gives the customer a leverage and insight into their bill. They can check their usage daily, so customers can conserve and reduce their electricity usage where possible,” Smith told Old Harbour News in a recent interview. 

Over recent months, customers of the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) have been venting their frustration regarding high electricity bills that they say do not mirror their consumption. The rate of complaints between the period January to March and April to June 12, 2020 increased exponentially, prompting the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) and Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining to intervene.

After an exorbitant increase in his electricity bill following the installation of an air conditioning unit, and prompting from persons on Twitter to create an app to monitor its usage, Smith sprang into action.

To accurately use the ‘Light Bill Tracker’ app:

Frustrated by JPS bill surprises? I've created a free app that you can use to estimate your bill throughout the month. All you need is your last bill, and visual access to your @myJPSonline smart meter. See the video: pic.twitter.com/Oo8wyjSwyH

— Oz. (@oswaldasmith) July 1, 2020

1. Enter your last electricity bill usage. Once per day, go to the smart meter installed at your premises and get the current usage reading from the meter.

2. Enter the current reading into the app, and once that is done, it will estimate the current charges.

“It is 99 percent accurate,” he said. “It is free and will be available on the I-Phone and Android Apps. For now, persons can go to www.lightbilltracker.app,” Smith said.

He added that persons can check to see if the information correlates to what they are billed for by JPS. Efforts should also be made to control their consumption, from the beginning of the month to the end of the month, to see if there is any significant reduction in their electricity usage, Smith said.

JPS, on Monday, announced that text message alert will be sent to its 320,000 customers with smart meters whenever their monthly energy consumption moves above 30 percent.