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Tag: Business

SolarBuzz Jamaica > Blog Classic > Business
JPS News

Dry your tears and wipe those bills

November 26, 2012

Many of you may know that time of the month when you get emotional, angered, stressed or even feel urged to cry.

That’s right. Your light bill is too high.

Entertainment systems can burn up to 11 kWh a month when not in use, and can run a light bill of $5,000 a year.

Electricity prices have been stable for the last eighteen months, but residential consumers have been paying on average of $31 and $40 for each kilowatt-hour (kWh), depending on how much is used in any given month.

The price paid for electricity is higher for those with greater appetites for energy. That’s because the energy rate for each kWh above the first 100 kWh is 2.3 times the rate for the first 100 kWh

JPS News Solar Energy

JPS Connects First Net-Billing Customer

November 26, 2012

The Jamaica Public Service has connected its first official net–billing customer to the grid.

The customer, Gordon Lawrence of a Corporate Area address, was officially commissioned after rigorous preparation and testing of the solar system at his home, supplied and installed by Alternative Power Sources.

Any excess energy from the solar system, not used by Lawrence, will be sold to JPS.

Lawrence was one of 11 JPS customers who received net-billing licences from Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell earlier this year. Net-billing customers will be paid the avoided cost of generation for the electricity JPS purchases, as well as up to a 15 per cent premium on that price.

JPS President and CEO Kelly Tomblin, in commenting on the landmark event, noted that the company was pleased to fulfil its mandate to accommodate customers on the grid, as part of the development of the new energy landscape in the island.

Nothing new

For his part, Lawrence said he was not new to generating his own power supply as he installed his system four years ago.

He said the process of getting on to the JPS grid – from application, to obtaining a licence, to dealing with the Office of Utilities Regulation, JPS, Alternative Power Sources and the government electrical inspector – was relatively smooth.

“The system is superior to that of a standby generator, as the changeover is seamless and silent,” he added. “It is also better than a generator in terms of cost as generators require fuel after purchase of the equipment.”

Lawrence’s current system produces roughly 10 to 15 kWh per day on average, with the surprise being that the so-called winter months from October to February have proven to be the most efficient months in terms of energy output.

JPS project manager for net billing, Volton Campbell, also recognised the advantage of Lawrence’s system.

“Unlike some solar systems that will not operate once there is no sunlight, Mr Lawrence’s system can operate when it’s cloudy, as well as at night,” Campbell said. “This is because his system also has backup batteries which are charged by the solar system.”

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JPS

JPS Getting 30-Day Sandy Loan

November 13, 2012

THE EDITOR, Sir:

The near-monopoly electricity provider, Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), has unilaterally decided that it will be estimating our bills based on the last three months’ consumption, as if our usage remained intact for October, the month Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of the eastern end of the island.

Those of us in the east who were without electricity service for an average of three to seven days, having been made to pay this estimated bill for October, will be credited thereafter in November when the meters are read.

This means that JPS will be holding the amount for which we are to be eventually credited, for 30 days after taking it from us! That portion, which is bound to be a multimillion-dollar figure, will, in reality, be a 30-day Sandy loan from us all to JPS.

Consider this iniquitous approach against people who have already suffered loss from the hurricane!

If we, the consumers, had a say in the matter, the approach to billing could be more equitable, in that they could simply charge us 80 per cent of the average of our previous three months’ consumption, and for November, reconcile our accounts after there is a reading.

To dictate that it will be an average of our past three months’ payments is to demonstrate the stranglehold monopolies providing an essential service have upon our meagre wallets. JPS must be reminded that we are all parties to a contract with them to provide service, and in that respect, the voices of the consumers are as important as that of the provider.

BERT S. SAMUELS

Attorney-at-law

bert.samuels@gmail.com

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JPS

Customers To Receive Estimated Oct Bills – JPS

November 12, 2012

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has said that some 123,000 customers will receive estimated bills for October.

The company said this was due mainly to the disruption in the company’s meter-reading schedule caused by Hurricane Sandy. The JPS said it was unable to carry out meter reading in some communities in the period immediately after the hurricane, as many of the company’s meter readers were redeployed to assist with restoration.

However, yesterday the company was unable to state the communities that would be getting these bills.

“Our billing system is set up to calculate estimated bills using an average of the last three actual readings of the customer’s meter. Some customers may, therefore, have been estimated for days when they were without electricity following the hurricane,” explained Winsome Callum, JPS head of corporate communication.

Callum said in the event that a customer’s usage is overestimated, this will be reflected in the next meter reading. She said based on the reading, any necessary adjustment will be made to the customer’s next bill to reflect his or her actual usage.

The JPS says customers who have concerns about their bills are asked to contact customer care centre at 1-888-225-5577 (LIME) or 1-888-935-5577 (Digicel), or visit their nearest customer service office and speak with a representative.

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JPS News

Kudos To The JPS

November 6, 2012

When Hurricane Sandy tore through Jamaica on October 24, many expected that the Category One winds would have immobilised the country’s infrastructure and severely interrupt commerce.

Refreshingly, many businesses were up and running the very next day. Vital to the safety and economic well-being of any country post-disaster is the restoration of electricity and other essential services.

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), in concert with other agencies such as the National Water Commission and the National Works Agency, accelerated the process of recovery admirably so that the country’s commercial life was not crippled.

Many Jamaicans grew impatient, but the majority recognised that these crews were working for many continuous hours.

The Sunday Gleaner’s tribute to the JPS team, calling them ‘Unsung heroes’, was well deserved. Work crews certainly went beyond the call of duty, often without regard for personal circumstances. We offer sincere condolences to the family of the worker who was killed in St Ann.

Reliability is one aspect of utilities that few appreciate until they are not there. The country should show its gratitude to these dedicated men and women in a fitting manner.

When the performance of JPS is pitted against the better-resourced United States (US), it is interesting to note that approximately 1.4 million homes and businesses in New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut remain in the dark, without heating, a week after the storm strengthened and roared ashore.

Jamaicans accustomed to being battered by hurricanes appear to have learnt the hard lessons of disaster recovery. Perhaps the US will also learn the hard way.

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JPS News

LETTER OF THE DAY – JPS Does Not Seem To Care

October 26, 2012

A JPS technician at work. - File
A JPS technician at work. – File

THE EDITOR, Sir:

WE ARE customers of the Jamaica Public Service Company. However, for over two weeks we have seen the service disconnected for up to 12 hours each day. The light is cut off from as early as 7:40 a.m. and does not return until minutes to eight in the nights.

We called after noticing this daily occurrence for a week and a half and were informed that the light is being disconnected because persons in the area are not paying their bills. When we asked for suggestions on coping with this situation, one customer service representative told us ‘to move’ while supervisor said ‘we should tell our neighbours to pay their bills’.

We reside in Windsor Heights, Central Village, St Catherine, and do not see why paying customers should be inconvenienced like this each day because JPS has failed to collect monies owing to them and want for us to do their compliance work. I think the customer service staff are rude and very inconsiderate.

We are now left with our food and medication that require refrigeration going bad and electrical appliances being damaged as a result of these daily outages. We are being seriously inconvenienced and JPS does not seem to care. They have not offered an end date to this and I am guessing that, based on the community in which we live, we will see this issue persist with no urgency to having the matter resolved.

suffering

I wish we could do as JPS customer service representative Antoinette suggested and move, possibly to Beverly Hills or Cherry Gardens, but, unfortunately, not all of us can reside in these areas.

I hope this letter will push JPS to realise that they do have customers here who need the service that they provide and that we have been paying for this service for years and we should not be made to continue suffering like this.

Lisa

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Alternative Energy Government JPS News

JPS’s response to power outages

October 16, 2012

THRICE in the last two months or so, where this writer lives has been out of power for more than three hours – twice for about 12 hours. Power outages are almost daily affairs for many Jamaicans and the usual excuse about the “teams” being too busy tending to other faults to respond with alacrity no longer rings with any conviction.

Perhaps a part of the problem is that JPS appears to view “emergency” differently from their customers. A customer experiencing a power outage calling JPS is first presented with an option relating to bill balance or about payment to JPS. The second option is to report an emergency. When one enters that menu number, one is reminded that the line is for emergencies only and further input is required from the customer to proceed. The caller is then reminded about recording of the call for quality purposes. Then, and only then, can one speak to a representative about the emergency

Alternative Energy Energy Saving News Pumps Solar Buzz Featured

Pool Pump Initial Cost & Electrical Cost 5 yr. Analysis

September 17, 2012

Cost Analysis of the 4 most popular pool pumps in the Jamaican market.

This analysis hopes to provide the readers with a better understanding of the costs associated with the purchase of varying pool pumps. This study takes into account the approximate initial cost of each pump along with the installation expenses and electrical costs associated with the operation of the pump over a five (5) year period.

Why choose an Inverter Pool Pump?

Solar Buzz Variable Speed Inverter pool pumps are enjoying rapidly increasing popularity in the swimming pool industry in Jamaica. These pumps offer many benefits over traditional pool pumps since they regulate the speed of the electric motor. This is done by the pump controlling the amount of power delivered to the motor

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