JPS customers currently receiving service to see 7% increase on their bills for consumption in November

Jamaica Public Service (JPS) customers who are currently receiving service will see a 7 per cent increase on their bills for consumption in November.

The bills will be issued this month.

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), made the announcement in a statement today.

The OUR said this adjustment was anticipated as JPS had to rely on more expensive fuel sources for generation because natural gas was unavailable in the period leading up to, and immediately after, Hurricane Melissa.

It said among other things, the hurricane resulted in an approximately 30 per cent reduction in sales, which contributed significantly to the increase in the fuel and Independent Power Producer (IPP) rates.

Together, these factors could have translated to a big hike in the November 2025 bills.

However, to avoid bill shock to customers, JPS, in consultation with the OUR, opted to defer some of the increase in fuel and IPP costs and recover it by spreading it over the upcoming months.

Therefore, for example, the average residential customer who consumes 165kWh per month would see a bill adjustment of approximately $655 on the previous bill of about $9,000.

The OUR, in approving this adjustment, noted that given the scale of the disaster, it may take up to six months for electricity generation costs to stabilise and for energy consumption to normalise.

Given the likelihood that further adjustments could cause bill shock to customers, the OUR has urged JPS to discuss the IPP and fuel charges with the regulator before they are applied over the next six (6) months.

The OUR has emphasised that the objective is to ensure gradual, manageable recovery while avoiding additional bill shock for customers.