Electricity woes spark rage in Gibraltar, St Mary
Published:Tuesday | October 25, 2022 | 12:05 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
More than seven households located along the Rocky Hill Road in the Gibraltar Housing Scheme, St Mary, have complained about persistent low voltage for more than a month.
The residents lamented about spending most days in darkness. They claimed that appliances and light bulbs have been damaged.
Householders are also disgruntled about reportedly not being able to refrigerate meat and other food.
Ava Kerr, an affected resident, bemoaned that the issue has not been rectified by electricity supplier, Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) for more than a month. She stated that a streetlight has also been frequently dysfunctional and that there has been no redress, despite the submission of the pole number to the power provider.
“It keep on blinking, blinking. You have this shortage from ‘bout more than a month now, and me report it to JPS ‘til me tired fi report it. Mi can’t bother nuh more. Mi just stop,” she said in frustration.
Kerr further explained that an electrician she hired told her that it was a JPS matter.
“Half of the house don’t have [electricity]. Sometimes no part of the house don’t have, and we tell them we no have no light inna di house,” she said.
Kerr said it has been increasingly difficult to manage daily tasks as extension cables criss-cross her floors in her efforts to power her refrigerator. She has had to run cables to an electrical socket in the living room to operate her fridge.
“It difficult bad, because sometimes mi no have no light inna di kitchen. Sometimes mi daughter no have no light inna her room; sometime only the plug dem a work,” Kerr said.
Audrey Williams, media and public relations manager at JPS, told The Gleaner that the company was intent on investigating the matter. After several checks made last Wednesday, Williams was unable to locate any unresolved complaint logs for the affected area.
However, she confirmed that three complaints in Gilbraltar Housing Scheme were logged and resolved during September.
“We will certainly investigate this matter that has now been brought to our attention and get back to you, closing the loop on this,” she said.
“I don’t feel safe”
However, Claudia Rijker-Baker, another affected resident, said she has had to leave her home because the circumstances have become unbearable.
Rijker-Baker told The Gleaner that her security cameras have been down for too long, exacerbating her feelings of vulnerability and insecurity.
She has resorted to returning to her parents’ home in St Catherine.
“I don’t feel safe. We have no security systems, no security lights outside,” she said.
Rijker-Baker also uses extension cords to power appliances across the rooms. She said that one extension cord has up to four appliances plugged in, including a washing machine and refrigerator.
She has been reduced to purchasing battery-operated lamps to illuminate her bedroom at night.
Residents have complained that repeated calls to, and numerous complaints lodged with, the JPS’s Customer Service Department have gone unanswered, including messages submitted through the online platform since October 2.
Both Kerr and Rijker-Baker, who have on occasion got through to customer care agents, said that they were told that someone would come to assess the problem.
Rijker-Baker further stated that she was informed that the incident had been logged and that the JPS was unable to commit to a date when a team would be assigned and deployed.