By Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter 
J.Paul Morgan (right), Director General of the Office of Utillities Regulation (OUR) addresses the media yesterday to announce the findings of an enquiry into billing system practices of the Jamaica Public Service at the OUR office yesterday. David Geddes, the agency's Director of Consumer and Public Affairs look on. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
THE OFFICE of Utilities Regulations (OUR) yesterday ordered the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) to compensate some 21,000 account holders, who were over billed last November.
J. Paul Morgan, director general of the OUR , also directed the utility company to completely overhaul its meter reading system to correct deficiencies by June 30 this year.
The JPS has also been given until February 28 to outline to the OUR the method of adjustment to be used to compensate customers.
Mr. Morgan issued the directives yesterday at a press conference at its Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) office in New Kingston where he divulged the findings of an enquiry into the companies billing system practices.
The enquiry was made in response to the large number of complaints by customers of receiving exorbitant electricity bills after the passage of Hurricane Ivan last September.
He said that the data from the 2003 investigation led the office to conclude that there were weaknesses in the company's meter reading process, resulting in the incorrect November bills.
QUALITY CONTROL
PROCESSES DEFICIENT
"Whilst we cannot specifically cite the point at which the meter readings became suspicious, it is clear that the quality control processes are deficient," Morgan stressed.
The OUR said that it was appalled that despite signing a Memorandum of Understanding in 2003 to tighten its high/low
rejection criterion to plus or minus 70 per cent by the end of August 2003 and later to plus or minus 65 per cent, JPS had not done so.
The high/low criteria is a process where if the bill exceeds plus or minus of its average consumption the account would be flagged as this would be an unusual event.
"We find this rather regrettable... I think I am horrified that this happen because it raises
serious questions about the company's commitment to comply with regulatory directives," said Mr. Morgan.
As a result, the director general said that JPS has been instructed to implement a criteria of a plus or minus 30 per cent for residential customers by August 2005, as well overhaul its meter reading regime.
Yesterday, Winsome Callum, JPS spokesperson told The Gleaner, "We are in the process of reviewing the OUR's conclusion and recommendations and we will make a statement later on it."
