Over $175m paid out to customers by utility providers in 2024 – OUR

UTILITY PROVIDERS paid customers approximately $175.3M in 2024 for service breaches. This information is contained in the Office of Utilities Regulation’s (OUR’s) Quarterly Performance Report for 2024 September-December, which also includes the utility’s performance for the calendar year 2024.

Of the amount paid out by the utilities to customers for the year, the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) paid $146.4M to affected customers for breaches of the Guaranteed Standards (GS). An additional $44.6M payout is awaiting the Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications, and Transport’s decision regarding JPS’s force majeure relief request due to Hurricane Beryl.

The National Water Commission (NWC) reported that some customers were paid $25.06M for GS breaches in 2024. This represents only 40 per cent of the approximately $62.43M potential compensation. The remaining amount not paid included those for which the affected customers did not submit the required claim forms.

Small water and sewerage providers also had to compensate some customers for GS breaches, paying out a total of $38,522.24 during 2024. Of this amount, $28,208.52 was paid out by Can-Cara Development Limited, and $10,313.72 by Runaway Bay Water Company.

Guaranteed Standards payments are applied as credits to affected customers’ bills.

In addition, through OUR’s intervention, some $3.84M was secured as credits or compensation for utility consumers during 2024. This is an increase over the $1.82M secured on behalf of customers in 2023.

Meanwhile, the number of contacts made to the OUR in 2024 increased by 47 per cent compared to the prior year. OUR’s data show that 4,520 contacts were made to the OUR, compared to 3,076 in 2023.

Private Telecommunications Service Providers (113 per cent) and C&WJ – Flow (108 per cent) accounted for the highest percentage increases in the total contacts received in 2024 over 2023.

The OUR’s Quarterly Performance Report for 2024 October-December can be found on its website: www.our.org.jm.