By Godson Umejiego, Correspondent USA
The Quarterly Performance Report (QPR) put out by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) for the 2021 July – 2021 September quarter shows a twenty-three per cent (23%) decline in the number of complaints received by the OUR.
Data contained in the report reveal that the most significant decreases were seen in the complaint categories of Disconnection (-42%), Billing Matters (-33%) and Terms and Conditions of Service (-14%). The complaint category of Interruption of Service saw the most significant increase of 63 per cent over the preceding period.
Of the 1,173 complaints received during the period, Billing matters, at 43 per cent of the number of contacts received, continued to be the main reason utility consumers contacted the OUR’s Consumer Affairs Unit (CAU). The Jamaica Public Service Company Ltd. (JPS) and the National Water Commission (NWC) with 253 (22%) and 181 (15%) of contacts respectively, accounted for the highest number of billing-related matters. These matters included high consumption, disputed charges, adjustments to customers’ accounts and estimated billing.
Service interruption contacts increased by eleven-percentage points, to 20 per cent of contacts received, when compared with the preceding quarter. Columbus Communications Ltd. (Flow) and JPS with 96 (8%) and 93 (8%) respectively, accounted for the highest number of related contacts. Cable and Wireless Jamaica Limited accounted for 85 (3%) contacts with Digicel Jamaica Ltd. and NWC sharing the remaining 1 per cent.
During the quarter, JPS and NWC reported contrasting performances against the Guaranteed Standards; the former recording an increase in complaints and the latter, a decline.
JPS’s compliance report on its Guaranteed Standards performance indicated that 14,960 breaches were committed during the 2021 July – 2021 September quarter, representing a 13 per cent increase compared with the preceding period. These breaches attracted compensatory payments of approximately $33.85 million. However, no compensatory payments were made for the breaches as during the period, JPS was still awaiting the Minister of Science, Energy and Technology’s decision on its request regarding force majeure relief from the Guaranteed Standards. The request was made on the grounds that the island had been designated a disaster area due to the impact of COVID-19 since 2020 March. The Minister, in 2021 October, made a final decision on the matter which resulted in the resumption of payments in 2021 November for breaches of the JPS Guaranteed Standards. Estimated Bills (which restricts JPS from sending more than two consecutive estimates without a penalty), Reconnection (which requires that JPS restores supply within 24 hours of payment of overdue amounts) and Connection to Supply (which prescribes the time within which JPS is to make a simple connection) accounted for 99 per cent of the standards which were breached by JPS.
