Extreme JPS harassment

David Chang, Contributor

OUR FAMILY has been in business for 39 years and always paid our bills on time, and never stole a watt of electricity. In April 2008, we purchased a house and applied to Jamaica Public Service (JPS) for supply and were advised to have the meter relocated to make it accessible for reading.

Extensive renovation took place and the house was not occupied for five months. Only a refrigerator was in use. And we paid our monthly bills with actual readings on time.

In September 2008, we notified JPS that a column was erected at the front of the premises so they could have the meter relocated there. A new meter was then installed.

A year later, in September 2009, we received a timed demand for payment for adjustment. We were advised that our meter was no longer working, and a new meter was installed. The adjustment referred to the period April-August 2008, when it was not occupied.

We explained the reason why the usage was so low in 2008, as the house was not occupied, but JPS would not accept that; they could have simply checked with their meter reader to verify our claim.

OUR assistance

We sought the assistance of the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR). JPS demanded proof of the refurbish exercise. Photographs of 'before', 'during' and 'after' were not accepted and JPS would accept only bills for materials and from the contractor. With the help of Ms. Beverley Green of OUR, the charges were finally reversed five months later in February 2010.

Then, on May 26, 2010, a JPS representative came with a notice to change the meter when only the helper was at home. We naturally had no objection that JPS wanted to change their meter for testing and the helper signed the papers presented. But, later, after careful reading, we realised that the notice indicated we "tampered with the meter". We DID NOT request for the meter to be tested as claimed.

Then, on the July 2010 bill, there was a demand for payment (over $300,000) for adjustment. We called JPS and were told that the adjustment was as a result of reassessment, based on the new digital meter (installed about a month earlier) and we would eventually get a letter. We paid the current charges and contacted OUR again. OUR advised us that we should meet with JPS first to see if it could be resolved.

We made an appointment with JPS and met and held discussions with a customer service representative, who told us that the meter removed was faulty, and that two of the gears were in the wrong positions, thus showing a reading of only about half of the actual usage. An adjustment resulted, doubling all the bills since the meter was installed in September 2008 (20 months ago). The JPS representative said he would review the situation and respond. (Our old meter was not shown to us).

We subsequently received a letter dated August 6, 2010 with the schedule of adjustment presumably sent out after the June bill. It stated that an illegal connection - meter tampering - was found. We tried, without success, to contact the company's representative to whom we previously had spoken.

On August 27, while still awaiting a response from him, another JPS representative came to the house to disconnect the supply. Luckily, someone was home and told the man the matter is being handled by the OUR. He did not go ahead with the disconnection, and a reconnection order was subsequently issued.

We take great offence to JPS accusing us of "illegal connection" - the meter was installed by JPS.

We did not tamper with the meter JPS installed - the JPS officer explained that the meter was faulty.

How can JPS use the reading of one month as the level for the past 20 months?

The consumption level recorded by the new meter is consistent with those for the past 20 months. So, on what basis has JPS claimed that the old meter recorded only 50 per cent of the consumption?

There are distinguished Jamaicans listed as directors of JPS. Do they know or care about what is going on?

davidcwyja@yahoo.com