The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) said it stepped in to verify the composition and calculation of some charges, as the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) warns customers of higher bills due to rising charges. fuel costs.
The electricity and lighting company informed its customers on Tuesday that it had experienced higher fuel prices in recent months due to the international price spike.
This, he said, would lead to higher electricity bills for customers in the coming weeks as the company faces rising fuel costs.
He urged customers to save energy to limit the impact on their bills.
OUR says it has received correspondence from JPS about the situation, noting that the company attributed the increase to higher commodity prices for oil and natural gas internationally and the devaluation of the Jamaican dollar against the currency. American.
JPS also cited the temporary switch from natural gas to more expensive automotive diesel at several plants for a combination of reasons.
The ORA says it recognizes the potential price shock for customers, but is also aware that costs relating to independent power producer (IPP) fees and exchange rate movements are passed directly on to customers.
These are explicitly provided for in the electricity license (2016) and the JPS tariff schedule and, as such, are not subject to regulatory control.
However, the regulator said it has a duty to verify the composition and calculation of these charges and how they are applied to customer invoices.
As such, OUR wrote to JPS requesting additional information, including:
– The rates and charges applied to the categories of customers for November 2021 and December 2021.
– Analyzes of the increase in fuel and PPI costs resulting from the switch from natural gas to automotive diesel.
– An explanation of why some factories have switched from natural gas to automotive diesel.
OUR said it expects to receive all requested information from JPS by December 24.
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