$212 million paid by utility companies to customers for service breaches in 2023

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) is reporting that utility providers paid out $212 million to customers in 2023 for service breaches.

The OUR notes that this is a 35 per cent increase over the $157 million paid out in 2022.

Of the total amount for 2023, the OUR says it secured $1,824,151 for customers through its intervention arising from utility complaints.

It says the National Water Commission (NWC) accounted for 62 per cent of this sum, the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) 37 per cent, while Cable & Wireless Jamaica Limited and Columbus Communications Jamaica Limited (together known as Flow), and Dynamic Environmental Management Limited (DEML) shared the remaining one per cent.

The amount was applied as a credit to the accounts of affected customers.

The remaining payout to customers, approximately $210 million, resulted from breaches of the JPS and NWC Guaranteed Standards.

JPS guaranteed standards reports for 2023 indicate that it committed 89,187 breaches, a 30 per cent increase over 2022.

Compensation associated with these breaches amounted to approximately $199 million, all of which was paid out automatically to the accounts of affected customers.

NWC guaranteed standards reports indicate that 8,229 breaches were committed throughout 2023, representing a three per cent decrease over 2022.

Potential compensation for these breaches was $37 million, of which only about $11 million or 30 per cent was paid.

The remaining 70 per cent of the Guaranteed Standards compensation that was not paid included those for which the affected customers did not submit the required claim forms.

Unlike the JPS, where compensatory payments for most breaches are automatically applied, NWC customers need to complete a claim form to be compensated for some breaches.

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