Customers to see significant reduction in JPS bill for September

Energy Minister Daryl Vaz has revealed that based on discussions held with the president of the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) this morning, customers should see a significant reduction in their next electricity bill.

Vaz, who spoke to The Gleaner Online via telephone a short while ago, stated that JPS President Hugh Grant has advised him that utility bills were going out today for the September billing cycle, which will be significantly lower than the August bill.

"He (Hugh Grant) has confirmed to me that significant reduction should be seen as per the instruction of the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) and of course the advocacy of the government, through me as minister of energy," Vaz said. 

"So I will see what the results are, but I am expecting that people will be much happier this month than last month. It has been a tough period for everyone, especially JPS customers, who were without electrical power following the passage of Hurricane Beryl on July 3.”

He continued, “So it will be somewhat of a reprieve for them, as there were many complaints from customers who had received high electricity bills even though they were without power for two to four weeks in some instances.”

According to a Gleaner source, JPS sent a letter to customers that said, “We are happy to share that your bill this month will show a 34 per cent reduction in the Fuel Charge. This reduction will positively impact your electricity bill for September 2024.”

“The Fuel Charge is a significant part of your bill. It varies each month based on factors such as the types of fuel used to generate electricity and the overall demand for electricity during the billing period,” the light and power company reportedly told customers.

“Following the disruptions caused by Hurricane Beryl and the subsequent stabilisation of fuel variables, the Fuel Charge has moved from J$32.17 on August 2024 bills to J$21.30 on September 2024 bills.”

It further noted, “JPS remains committed to transparency and ensuring that our billing practices comply with all legal and regulatory requirements. We continue to prioritise delivering stable, high-quality service to all Jamaicans.”

Following public outrage over significant increases some customers were reporting for their August bill, the OUR had instructed JPS to reduce some customers' bills in the next billing period and to re-issue those bills issued in August with zero consumption that do not show a corresponding zero money value.

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