KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) has ordered that the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) start submitting quarterly reports on data on meter readings for residential customers that fall outside of +/- 30 per cent of the average previous readings. 

According to a statement from the OUR, the decision was made following an investigation in the complaints of high bill/consumption since the 2020 April billing period.

The utilities regulator said that the report should also include the methods employed by JPS to notify customers of any significant variance in their consumption.

”The exception reports are to be submitted to the OUR 20 working days after the end of every quarter, commencing 20 working days following June 30, 2021,” the statement said.

In addition, the OUR said in a letter dated April 29, 2021, and as a follow up to an OUR report issued in October 2020, JPS has been asked to provide a report on the reasons for its failure to notify its customers between August 2014 to June 2020, of the significant variance in consumption.

”This is provided for in the OUR’s Decision: Enquiry into Billing Systems of the Jamaica Public Service Limited dated February 22 2005 (the Exceptions Criteria). JPS is required to outline the corrective action(s) and the measures taken to prevent a recurrence of its non-compliance with the Exceptions Criteria,” the statement noted.

The OUR has also requested that JPS submit a report on the corrective and preventative measures taken to comply with the billing period restrictions as stipulated in an October 10, 2008, memorandum issued to the company by the OUR.

”The memorandum stipulates that JPS should ensure that no estimated bills are issued to customers on the basis of a billing period exceeding thirty days, and that it must ensure that 99 per cent of bills based on actual meter readings, reflect usage no greater than a billing period of 31 days,” it said.

Both reports are to be submitted by June 25, 2021.