JPS, NWC customers compensated $45.3 million for breaches
Published:Friday | July 22, 2022 | 2:17 PM
Customers of the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) and the National Water Commission (NWC) were compensated a total of $45.3 million for breaches of guaranteed standards.
The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) says the breaches occurred between the January-March quarter.
The OUR says affected persons were entitled to a total of $53.4 million in compensation but $8.1 million, attributable to NWC breaches, was not paid as claim forms were not submitted by customers.
In its latest Quarterly Performance Report, the utility regulator said that JPS's compliance with the guaranteed standards indicated that 20,653 breaches were committed during the quarter, representing a 6% increase on the number for the preceding period.
These breaches attracted compensatory payments of approximately $43.8 million, all of which were applied automatically to the affected customer's account.
The NWC's guaranteed standards compliance report for the review period indicated that the number of breaches committed increased by 120%, to 2,419, when compared with the preceding period.
These breaches had a potential payout of approximately $9.6 million but actual payments amounted to approximately $1.5 million, or 15% of total potential payments.
Actual payments were made by way of automatic credits to the affected accounts.
The remaining 85% of potential payments not made, represented those breaches for which the required claim forms were not submitted for validation.
Additionally, stemming from the OUR Consumer Affairs Unit's direct intervention, $147,581.22 was secured for customers in the form of credit and direct payment during the review period.
Of this amount, $83,541.53 (57%) was secured from Columbus Communications (Flow), $42,531.36, (29%) was secured from the NWC, and $21,508.33, or 15% from Cable and Wireless Jamaica (C&WJ).
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