Demonstrators chant during a recent protest near the Jamaica Public Service Company Limitedheadquarters in New Kingston. (photos: Naphtali Junior)
Those heavy electricity bills
Three years ago I wrote a letter expressing concern about the utility company providing our electricity. I first mentioned the sad case of two cousins being electrocuted by a live electrical wire that fell from a utility pole. The point I was trying to make, however, was that alternatives to the way we manage our electrical affairs were long overdue.
I suggested then that the electrical company put their cables underground — out of the reach of people who deliberately, or otherwise — are likely to come in contact with their equipment.
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At the time, all low and medium electrical power in the Netherlands was supplied underground. And countries like the UK and Germany were undergrounding a portion of their cables each year. I mention these again to stress the point that it is not such a far-fetched idea. It is also cost-effective.
Apart from people dying or becoming injured, for which the company would, sometimes, be liable, the poles and cables are being damaged, daily, and have to be replaced.
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Recently many people have been expressing shock that they have been contributing part of their bill to electricity theft by others. I am shocked that they are just finding out. Any lawyer worth his salt could deal with this matter. It’s just that we have accepted it, and the electricity company just finds it easier to dig a little deeper into the pockets of law-abiding citizens than finding an honest solution to this problem. Is there anyone who thinks that if this questionable deduction could not be made from our pockets the utility company would not have found a suitable solution long ago? And what message is this sending to other business people in the country, especially monopolies?
Years ago an American company purchased this utility company. I thought this was a crazy idea. The company was drowning in bankruptcy and other problems in the US. Shareholders had given up and wrote it off as a bad investment. Can you imagine their shock when, soon after taking over here, the company started to plaster them with dividends — made possible from the near empty pockets of Jamaicans. Before anyone could say “who dat” the same company became solvent again, sold back this company at a huge profit, and headed back to the United States, smiling.
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I had entertained the highest hopes that during the massive roadworks, recently concluded, the relevant parties would have seized the opportunity to put some of our cables underground, particularly since many of the thieves reside and do business in areas that abut on these roadworks.
If that is too late, there is the option of installing air cables — insulated cables spun between poles and used for power transmission and telecommunication services. This removes the danger of electrical shock and would be particularly attractive (cost-wise) for installations in our more hilly areas.
What is there to lose. We save on theft. We save on maintenance. We save on compensations. We are relatively unaffected by weather events. We reach more prospective customers. We become more efficient. But, as I suggested earlier, it is just easier to take our money. Would it be mischievous of me to point out that, everywhere these days, everybody is impatient for justice?
Glenn Tucker, MBA, is an educator and a sociologist. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or glenntucker2011@gmail.com.
A JPS employee works on a connection in the Corporate Area.
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