ALMOST a year after Jamaica Public Service (JPS) installed ‘ready boards’ in Majesty Gardens, Kingston, to deter electricity theft, residents are still stealing the commodity.

The light and power company’s senior vice president for customer service, Ramsay McDonald, told the Jamaica Observer that he was disappointed that the residents were stealing light, though the project was designed with affordability in mind.

“Just yesterday I heard that there is now a tendency to going back to the theft. What many of them pointed out was, ‘Hey, the reality is I know we are regularised, but we have no jobs, we can’t afford [it]’ and that’s a challenge that we face and we need to work with Government and other entities to try and improve that situation.

“So we had to go back in again to try and make corrections there; to try and make it a little more challenging because there is a manufacturing complex nearby which has been struggling with the impact of the theft,” Ramsay explained. “So we are working with them and we are going to go back in and try and sort that out.”

In 2015, JPS partnered with the United States Agency for International Development to launch the $20-million Ready Board Electrification Demonstration pilot programme, which was aimed at reducing electricity theft, wastage and risk of electrocution.

The ready board, which is a piece of board with a breaker, a bulb, switch, and socket is built especially for premises that cannot accommodate traditional electrical wiring.

The 326 ready boards that were installed in the community were hailed as a major milestone for the 95-year-old power company as only three legal connections had existed in the Majesty Gardens community in 2013.

Ramsay also told the Observer on Wednesday that individuals were also stealing electricity because they were unable to get enough energy through the ready boards to facilitate the use of all their appliances.

However, Ramsay said the company has installed a smart meter infrastructure and is working with the community to encourage the residents to now connect their appliances to legal electricity.

When the Observer visited the community last July, Raphel Young, who had been residing in the community for more than 60 years, said he has been using a kerosene lamp all his life.

An overwhelmed Young said then that the ready board gave him the opportunity to watch news and some of his favourite television programmes.

“Mi buy $500 credit and it last mi for two months. As mi watch news and Hill and Gully Ride and so, mi plug out back the TV,” Young said.