Callum
Nadisha Hunter,
Lucea, Hanover – The Jamaica Public Service Company Ltd is reporting that it has started major maintenance work in Hanover.
This is with the aim of improving its service to many customers who have been experiencing frequent outages.
It is not clear when the programme which commenced in October will end. The company says there was limited work done after Hurricane Sandy as some of their contractors were deployed to other parishes to assist with the restoration process.
In a written report to the Hanover Parish Council, the electricity provider said the repair programme includes the replacement of equipment and poles, the rehabilitation of lines, repair to street lights and bushing in the vicinity of distribution lines.
According to the JPS, 32 kilometres of distribution lines have already been bushed with another 230km scheduled to be completed before the end of the year. Areas completed include Riley to Middlesex and lines to Clifton, Cascade, Lances Bay and Esher.
Repairs to street lights have been completed by the utility company in the towns and communities of Lucea, Clifton, Hopewell and Miles Town.
In October, the Observer reported that the company had promised to provide a more reliable service to customers in Hanover, who have been experiencing frequent power outages due mainly to maintenance and feeder issues. At that time, the company’s new Operations Manager Winston Bansie said he was mandated to have the service in the parish improved, mainly in efficiency and reliability.
The JPS had also promised to step up repairs to street lights in the parish.
Read more:
Lucea, Hanover – The Jamaica Public Service Company Ltd is reporting that it has started major maintenance work in Hanover.
This is with the aim of improving its service to many customers who have been experiencing frequent outages.
It is not clear when the programme which commenced in October will end. The company says there was limited work done after Hurricane Sandy as some of their contractors were deployed to other parishes to assist with the restoration process.
In a written report to the Hanover Parish Council, the electricity provider said the repair programme includes the replacement of equipment and poles, the rehabilitation of lines, repair to street lights and bushing in the vicinity of distribution lines.
According to the JPS, 32 kilometres of distribution lines have already been bushed with another 230km scheduled to be completed before the end of the year. Areas completed include Riley to Middlesex and lines to Clifton, Cascade, Lances Bay and Esher.
Repairs to street lights have been completed by the utility company in the towns and communities of Lucea, Clifton, Hopewell and Miles Town.
In October, the Observer reported that the company had promised to provide a more reliable service to customers in Hanover, who have been experiencing frequent power outages due mainly to maintenance and feeder issues. At that time, the company’s new Operations Manager Winston Bansie said he was mandated to have the service in the parish improved, mainly in efficiency and reliability.
The JPS had also promised to step up repairs to street lights in the parish.
Read more:
Workmen from the Jamaica Public Service’s Hurricane Restoration Team assess a broken pole on Mandela Highway, St Andrew – file.
The Jamaica Public Service Company, JPS, says it has already spent US$4 million to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.
And JPS vice president for technical services Ricardo Rennalls says it is projected that the entire restoration process will cost over US$7 million.
Speaking at a press conference this morning to update the country on the JPS restoration work, Rennals disclosed that the compaany suffered extensive damage to its distribution system.
He says the JPS lost thousands of electricity poles and 130 transformers, but has already restored over 1,500 poles.
While praising the performance of the company throughout the
The Jamaica Public Service Company, JPS, says it has already spent US$4 million to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. And JPS vice president for technical services Ricardo Rennalls says it is projected that the entire restoration process will cost over US$7 million. Speaking at a press conference this morning to update the country on the JPS restoration work, Rennals disclosed that the compaany suffered extensive damage to its distribution system. He says the JPS lost thousands of electricity poles and 130 transformers, but has already restored over 1,500 poles. While praising the performance of the company throughout the
Irregular power supply wreaks havoc with equipment Several public-sector entities are now reporting damage to expensive equipment because of surges in the electricity supply from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS). The power surges have left some entities nursing hefty repair bills, while they await compensation. Among those hit hardest are hospitals, whose existence depend on sufficient electricity to keep life-saving equipment running. The JPS has admitted that there have been complaints and claims for compensation from public entities such as hospitals but it has refused to provide details. But checks by 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 Read more: ELECTRICITY theft continues to hit the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) hard, amounting to US$32 million so far this year. In fact, so pervasive has been the illegal activity that the company is acknowledging that it is running out of options to stem it. “It’s at a high rate, and I see it increasing, simply because as electricity rates increase… We have run out of options, we have just run out of options,” Kelly Tomblin, JPS’s president and CEO told the Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange yesterday.
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. Read more : Millions of dollars in machines donated by Shaggy to the Bustamante Hospital now in the scrap heap Erica Virtue, Senior Gleaner Writer Power surges from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) are being blamed for the damage to a number of expensive medical equipment at the Bustamante Hospital for Children. This has forced the hospital to refer patients to private facilitates where parents have to fork out thousands of dollars for tests that would have been done for free at the State-run hospital for children. Last month,
Workmen from the Jamaica Public Service’s Hurricane Restoration Team assess a broken pole on Mandela Highway, St Andrew – file.
Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) President and CEO Kelly Tomblin (left) addressing yesterday
Orville ‘Shaggy‘ Burrell presents a cheque for $32 million to Lyttleton Shirley (right), chairman of the South East Regional Health Authority, from proceeds of the Shaggy and Friends 2012 concert to benefit the Bustamante Hospital for Children as sponsors look on.-File