Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) is to re-issue bills with zero charge for its customers who were without electricity during the last billing cycle, but still received estimated bills.
The announcement was made by Energy Minister Daryl Vaz at a press conference on Wednesday, during which he outlined measures the light and power company said it will implement to address several concerns regarding its billing system following the passage of Hurricane Beryl early last month.
The minister said while JPS has a regulatory requirement to ensure that its customers are billed in a timely manner, the power company “appreciates the frustration” and “experience” of its customers who were without electrical supply, but were still billed for the period.
“In cases where estimated bills were sent out to persons who had no supply, JPS will cancel those bills and generate new bills representing zero consumption and, therefore, zero dollars owed for those bills,” Vaz stated.
He indicated that this is “good news” for persons who have not had their electricity restored since Beryl.
The minister said as at Tuesday evening, 3,247 JPS customers remain without power in St Elizabeth, while 34,549 are now back on the grid in the parish.
Despite navigating factors such as the terrain and weather conditions, Vaz said the company remains on track to have power fully restored to the parish by August 31.
JPS has also sent communication to Vaz that it has further suspended disconnections for non-payment of bills locally until September 15, 2024. This is being done by JPS, according to Vaz, in recognition of the challenges being faced by many Jamaicans after the hurricane, and “the higher bills now being seen” nationally.
The minister viewed this development as “commendable, based on the suffering of so many people, even those who have gotten back light and just simply can’t pay the bills because they’ve been damaged so badly and their livelihoods have been affected.”
Also, Vaz said based on his insistence, the power company will continue to facilitate flexible bill payment plans for persons who need more time to pay.
“Requests are being dealt with on a case by case basis, and customers can make requests for payment plans through the JPS mobile app or calling its customer care centre,” Vaz stated.
