The Editor, Sir:
In response to recent questions regarding the sudden, widespread and exponential hikes in electricity bills, the Jamaica Public Service postulated that the increases resulted - not from billing errors - but from an unplanned extension in the number of days in the bill cycle.
This was explained to be the result of two holidays and a few days of bad weather within the month of August. As implausible as the explanation was, very few persons questioned the considerable inconsistencies between the percentage increase in number of billed days and the percentage change in bill amounts.
How come?
Fast-forward two weeks, several demonstrations and word of a whopping $400,000 bill for a domestic premises and the question comes forcibly to everyone's minds: 'How come?'
We cannot help but question the extent to which we are exposed to the machinations and mechanisms that resulted in such a glaring error on the bill of one customer.
Now, we are not suggesting that we live in an error-free environment, but these are very costly errors, which have been made over and over again and with apparent impunity. It is therefore unavoidable to infer that the JPS' billing system is at best unreliable.
But, we have been here before! Indeed, I am old enough to recall a period when we suffered similarly under the weight of an oppressive monopolistic telecommunication system. Almost as soon as this monopoly was broken and customers allowed the market-given right to choose; everything changed for the better. Today, we are benefactors of this change!
Supreme responsibility
It is, therefore, time that serious considerations be given to the prospect of facilitating competition within the electricity market. Rather than seeking continually to police JPS at taxpayers' expense, ours is the supreme responsibility to take immediate steps to protect ourselves.
Unless competition is introduced into the electricity market, JPS will undoubtedly feel that it has licence to play God.
I am, etc.,
WAYNE A. MILLER
el_negro11@hotmail.com
Portland
