THE EDITOR, Sir:THIS IS an open letter to the Jamaica Public Service Company regarding the level of increases that are being charged to us, their customers, and seeking an explanation, which I am sure would be of interest to many other persons, who like me, are puzzled by the level of increases we are seeing in our bills.
I decided to do some research on what has happened to my bills over the past 11 months and share this information with you. I am a residential customer.
As you will see, in table below, the largest increase has been in the area of fuel costs, which JPS has gone to great lengths to advertise and has encouraged us to conserve, which I have no problem with at all. The increase in the first 100 kWh is negligible at less than half of one per cent, and no doubt is geared at sparing the less affluent members of the society. No problem with that either. What however astounds me is the increase of over 30 per cent for consumption over 100 kwhs. The reverse of the bill states in regard to this charge "this is the non-fuel charge for producing and delivering each kwh of electricity you consume".
This cannot have anything to do with the rate of exchange of the Jamaican dollar, for which there is a separate price adjustment mechanism built into the bills, and, in any event, by their own information supplied on the bills has moved from 60.62 to 61.89 in the period of my review. This translates to an increase of 2.09 per cent.
On what basis, therefore, does the company justify an increase of over 38 per cent to produce and deliver a kilowatt hour? I do hope that we will all be favoured by a clear and prompt response from the company.
I am, etc.,
PETER L. BRASSINGTON
Kingston 6
