US$20 million spent fighting electricity theft

Last year alone, the company said some US$20 million was expended battling the illegal practice. Several measures have been applied, but finding a permanent fix requires an assault on all fronts.

“It is a constant battle that we fight each and every day. But it’s a constant battle that we cannot fight on our own because it’s a social, economical problem that needs government intervention and assistance,” said Fiona Johnson, customer area manager, JPS.

Johnson, who was among a group of utility representatives present at the Office of the Utilities Regulation (OUR) recently in Spring Village, added: “What we found though is that when we do go into communities that we call the red zone communities and we go with JSIF (Jamaica Social Investment Fund), not just to help them to regularize their supply but to help with their social and economical status.

“For example whatever else that is inside the community that we can offer from the government perspective we find that we have a much better response.”

Through numerous loss reduction strategies – including partnerships with the Ministry of National Security and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – the JPS has been slowly reducing the number of electricity theft since 2017.

But the JPS area south manager believes the government has a greater role to play in their efforts to reduce electricity theft.

“But as you know it takes money and JPS has to do it year in year out to try and control (electricity theft) as best as we can. But it does need government intervention, we can’t do it on our own.

“Last year alone we spent almost US$20 million just fighting losses. We take people to court, we find irregularities, we try and get persons get their account regularize and pay their bills, but as I said it’s a constant battle,” she said.