JPS must be honest with the people, says Dr Waul

  He made the comments after a meeting Wednesday with disgruntled residents of Buddo in Old Harbour Bay.

“Just be honest with the people,” he said to Old Harbour News after viewing numerous light bills which left him flabbergasted by the dramatic spike in their billing.

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit Jamaica, there has been massive public uproar against the island’s sole electricity provider, as customers began to receive exorbitant bills, some as high as a 500 percent increase above their usual average consumption.

Waul, who is the People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for St Catherine South West which comprises of Old Harbour Bay among other communities, said it is a possibility that JPS could be experiencing internal technical issues but unwilling to admit that’s the case now.

“If it means that you have to refund some of the money; just be honest and refund some of money if it’s found that JPS system is found wanting or some form of inaccuracy is taking place,” said the medical doctor who is also a native of fishing community. 

An examination of several customers light bills by Old Harbour News indicated a clear disparity in consumption pattern over a short period.

Tessiana Taylor said her average monthly consumption was roughly $6,000 in 2019, but that has now jumped to approximately $17,000 per month with her June bill at just over $23,000.

“How can single mother pay so much for light bill! And I don’t have much appliances, only a deep freeze and two fans, a TV and a radio,” said Taylor. “I don’t have any AC and I don’t have a washing machine.”

Chantal Campbell had her service disconnected for owing $7,000 after being charged around $46,000 for the month of May. Her next bill the following month was for $49,888.53. Despite running a deep freeze, three televisions and three fans in a household of eight occupants, she’s contending that the charge is disproportionate, as average usage was under $20,000 monthly. In February a JPS inspection team visited their home for the third time, she told us but they never receive a report from the utility company with regards to the findings.

“JPS do suppm for poor people, wi cant tek it no more, especially Buddo people. We need justice JPS,” she lamented.

According to JPS, the sudden surge in energy cost has been linked to various factors, primarily an increase in usage due to many families being at home as a result of COVID-19, and the slide in the Jamaica dollar against the US greenback.

But one resident who gave his name as Brian is dismissing that argument. The father of three said “with my children being home my light bill should not be going up it should be going down because on a weekly basis I would be washing 15 uniforms, ironing 15 uniforms, ironing clothes to go to Kingdom Hall (church)”.

“I don’t have AC (air condition), I wash very little because we are home… and the light bill move from $6,000 to $11,500. It doesn’t make any sense,” he added. “JPS, you need to look at your billing system and it is not erroneous, it is deliberate.”

Janice Simms said she was left shocked when she saw a $51,000 charge on her June bill.

“They said I have to pay it or I will be disconnected. I’m not gonna pay it, they will have to disconnect it,” she said, noting that the family of six uses a deep freeze, two televisions and two fans as priority electricity appliances utilized on a regular basis.

In the last three years the community has made immense step to regularize and desist with the practice of illegally connecting to the grid. Evidence of several anti-theft metering systems could be seen connected on JPS poles throughout the community.

“They have tried to be honest with you,” said Dr Waul, “they have regularized all their dwellings in order to get the power. So just like they have been honest with you, just be honest with them.”

President and chief executive officer (CEO) of JPS Michel Gantois has responded to the overwhelming complaints, stating that the company “regret any unease, frustration or inconvenience” being experienced by its customers in recent months.

The Office of Utility Regulations, the country’s chief regulatory body for utilities has ordered a full investigation to determine the true reasons behind the unprecedented levels of complaints from customers regarding the spike in energy consumption.