Some Spanish Town residents without power after illegal connections destroy transformer

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) is reporting that residents of St John's Road in Spanish Town, St Catherine have been left without electricity after illegal connections destroyed another transformer serving the community.

JPS says the transformer was destroyed when it became overloaded by illegitimate users connecting lines to the company's electrical infrastructure.

JPS notes that the transformer was recently installed on September 19.

It is the sixth transformer to be destroyed by illegal connections in the St Johns Road community since the start of the year – costing the company more than J$1.6 million so far, JPS stated.

The light and power company says approximately 650 households have been affected by the power outage.

Only 25 of these households are legal JPS customers.

“It is very unfair to our paying customers, who have to share the cost of electricity theft,” said Ramsay McDonald, JPS Senior VP Customer Services in a statement.  

“The constant disruption in service is totally unacceptable and terribly inconvenient to customers. Persons who insist on stealing electricity have managed to breach the anti-theft infrastructure that JPS placed in this community, and their illegal actions continue to compromise the service we seek to provide to legitimate customers,” he explained.

JPS is reminding the public that theft of electricity creates a significant safety hazard with a high risk of fire and electrocution to both paying customers and those who are illegally extracting electricity.

Meanwhile, some upset residents this afternoon mounted a protest over the lack of electricity in the area.

According to them, they have been without power for a week.

The residents say that this has hampered their lives. 

"I have to dash wah several hundred thousand dollars worth of meats after paying $30,000 monthly for electricity," Aston McDonald, who operates Cheddar Wholesale, told The Gleaner.

“I don't like to protest, but it is wicked as we are paying customers. What I want is the current [electricity] back," McDonald lamented.

"We are going to block the road until we get back di light," Maureen Cousley said.

"My mother sells ice cream and everything spoil and JPS not saying anything. We have to use generator to get the cashpot business up. This is  unfair and we need Government help now.”

Residents have vowed to continue the protest.

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