Opposition demands transparency from JPS about 7% increase in electricity bills for November

The opposition is demanding full transparency from the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) for the 7 percent increase in electricity bills for November, due to Hurricane Melissa.

The call from Spokesperson on Energy, Phillip Paulwell, follows the announcement by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) yesterday.

The OUR said the 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.

Mr Paulwell argues that there are inconsistencies in the utility’s explanation.

He said without full transparency, the increase lacks legitimacy and places an unjust burden on consumers already under strain.

The opposition is also calling on the IPPs to publicly declare their position and to independently provide clarity on the increase in the IPP fuel price.

Mr Paulwell is also demanding clarity on whether an offsite data storage failure, as alluded to in a JPS notice to customers, contributed to the company’s inability to access meter readings required for accurate billing.