CONSUMERS are still unsure where to get pre-paid meters top-up or juice cards when the electricity supply is about to finish although Guyana Power & Light (GPL) has been on the airwaves with Dave Martins jingles for weeks now. However, GPL Public Relations Officer Shevion Sears told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that persons could replenish their accounts at any Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) branch, Johnny P’s Convenience store in North Ruimveldt, Georgetown and at Bill Express offices countrywide.
She said GPL has installed at least 500 pre-paid meters around the country since the introduction and juice cards, being sold in denominations of $500 and $1,000, will deliver current for a few hours.
The utility, in its promotion, has said the new system will give customers greater control of the electricity they use, facilitate energy conservation and savings on cost.
Customers using the pre-paid meters do not have to pay fixed charges or lodge security as they do on post- paid meters and the money saved could then go towards purchasing electricity, an official said at a GPL event earlier this year.
“So the $370 that you are paying as fixed charge, you can now use that to buy energy. You don’t receive a bill with the pre-paid meter but we plan to send you an annual statement to show your purchases,” the official said.
GPL plans to, eventually, have all of its collection agents equipped to sell its service. With the juice card, there will be a PIN on it and, when it is revealed to the service agent, a token will be provided to the customer, who will then use it to access power.
Pre-paid metering is among a raft of measures aimed at cutting GPL losses, which, in 2008, was $ 1.9 billion after taxes and nearly $1.6 billion the previous year.