By Claude Mills, Staff ReporterJAMAICA PUBLIC Service (JPS) customers will see on average, a five per cent increase in their electricity bills as of June 1, the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) announced yesterday.
J. Paul Morgan, the OUR's director-general, told journalists this at a press conference at the OUR's New Kingston headquarters.
He noted that elements of the new tariff regime include increased rates of between 3.05 per cent and 11.78 per cent depending on the rate scale the customer falls in.
Commercial Rate 20 customers (1,000 kwh) such as hairdressers, barbers and other small enterprises of that nature will be hardest hit by the increases under the new tariff regime, registering a jump of 11.78 per cent on their bills. However, a reduced customer charge is expected to soften the impact of the hike on these account holders.
"The customer charge for Rate 20 accounts has been reduced from $550 to $150, which means that those on the lower end of the Rate 20 scale should benefit from this," Mr. Morgan said.
In the meantime, the domestic Rate 10 account holders, which number 430,000, will see an increase of six per cent on their bills.
The Rate 40 low-voltage users such as large supermarkets and small hotels will see an increase of 7.8 per cent, while Rate 50 customers such as large industrial/manufacturing firms will see a jump of three per cent in their monthly bills. The rates reflect the cost to the JPS of providing the service to each category.
