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The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) has rebuffed criticism by the Ministry of Energy last Friday (September 2) of the quality of service the light and power company provides its customers.

In the ministry’s release last week, Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Daryl Vaz expressed his dissatisfaction with what he described as the company’s poor handling of customer satisfaction issues.

The minister also criticised the 0.7 per cent average rate increase recently granted by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) to the JPS, which saw the majority of its customers paying more for electricity bills as of August 22.

The energy minister, among his requests, demanded that the management of the JPS present a report to the Cabinet detailing how and when the customer satisfaction issues would be addressed.

JPS, in a release yesterday (September 6), stated that the company was surprised that the ministry would issue a news release with several inaccuracies, when it had been trying unsuccessfully for months to convene a meeting with the ministry.

It further noted that attempts were made by JPS to discuss the issues highlighted in the release, as well as other matters of national importance that have the potential to significantly impact the cost of electricity and the reliability of supply.

These include how the ministry could help fight the massive theft of electricity, delays in adding customers, supply chain challenges relocation of 100 poles and unscheduled power cuts.

Relocation of 100 Poles

Vaz stated that he was displeased with the delay concerning the relocation of the 100 poles to facilitate major infrastructure development.

JPS, in its release, said the company has made significant progress with the relocation of a number of its transmission and distribution poles to facilitate the South Coast Highway Improvement Project being carried out by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and other local construction companies.

Unscheduled Power Cuts

According to JPS, unplanned outages that cause inconvenience to customers are an inescapable reality of power systems across the world. 

The company said there can be no guarantee of uninterruptible power in the face of uncontrollable factors such as weather conditions, motor vehicle accidents, or equipment failure.

In some of the country’s local communities, JPS said, the hard work to install, upgrade, repair and maintain equipment is made even more difficult by mountainous terrain, landslides and bad road conditions.

JPS further noted that it was very sensitive to the negative impact of power outages on people’s lives and businesses.

”Our commitment to customers is to reduce the likelihood of outages, respond and restore as fast as we can, and update our customers on our progress.”

To improve the quality and reliability of service, JPS has invested in excess of US$80 million (more than J$12 billion) each year over the past five years, a sum it said has assisted in improving customer experience over the years.

What’s next?

Noting that there are several major issues that need to be addressed to improve the local energy sector, JPS said these issues require alignment and partnerships among many parties committed to doing the right thing.

Among the needs, the company said, are a collaborative approach to significantly reduce theft of electricity as the JPS “cannot solve this crime on its own, but a concerted effort with public-private partnerships can make a big difference”.

Also needed is a national response to soaring energy costs: including mechanisms to cushion the impact of foreign exchange movements, and the volatility of oil and gas prices on the world market.

The smart addition of renewables to the grid to improve Jamaica’s energy security: this includes fast-tracking policies to support the roll-out of roof-top solar.

Resolving the vexing issue of the cost of wiring houses, which is currently a huge impediment to persons seeking to gain access to electricity supply legally.

JPS said it was calling for the energy ministry and other willing partners to work together to address the major issues that can move the energy sector forward so all Jamaicans can benefit.