…GPL pays out $30M in credits to consumers

MORE than 500 complaints have already been filed for 2017 against public utility companies for inefficient services provided, with the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) and the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) having to repay over $31M to customers, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has disclosed.

At a press conference on Monday at its Queenstown headquarters, PUC Complaints Manager, Destra Bourne, disclosed that for the period January-July 2017, the Commission received 505 complaints with GTT accounting for the majority – some 355. A total of 124 complaints were filed against GPL, 23 against GWI and three against Digicel Guyana. Bourne noted that of the 355 reports filed against GTT, 320 were technically related. In the case of GPL, 46 of the complaints were linked to tampering or meter bypass, 28 for application of first service, 18 for technical issues and 11 for billing queries. Additionally, 11 other reports had to do with the disconnection of service, and five each, for change of tenancy and claim for compensation.

As of Monday, 303 of those 505 complaints filed for 2017 are pending. According to Bourne, the majority of the complaints for the first quarter of the year have been resolved, and though the utilities have not officially updated the PUC on certain matters, it has been reliably informed that 150 of the complaints have been resolved. “Most of the matters received during the first quarter of the year have been resolved. Also, out of these 303 matters, there are numerous matters that the consumers would have advised the PUC that their issues have been resolved but the utility is still to send that response to PUC,” the Complaints Manager explained.
It was noted that once a report is filed to the Commission, be it via the PUC website (www.puc.org.gy), telephone or in person, verifications would be made to ensure that the complaining customer had first lodged a report to the utility and a reasonable time frame had been given to allow the utility to act.

PUC must then be satisfied that the complaint has merit – that means that the issue(s) raised by the customer must be in accordance with the Law specific to the utility or an Order of the Commission, and in keeping with the Commission’s rules and procedures.
Once the requirements are met, the PUC would write the utility attaching the reference number and the complaint and based on the magnitude of the problem, a timeframe is given for the matter to be resolved. According to Bourne, these problems are usually resolved in a timely manner once it attracts the attention of the PUC.
In many instances, PUC after launching investigations into the complained found that some of the utilities such as GPL and GTT would have either overcharged customers or charged them for services that they were not provided with.

For 2017, these investigations and subsequent sanctions have resulted in GPL, GTT and GWI paying over $31M in credits to customers. Bourne pointed out that GPL has been made to pay $30M in credits, GTT some $635, 000 and GWI $522, 000 in credits.
Compensation
The complaints manager explained that customers are not compensated in liquid cash but the monies in the form of credits are applied to their account, and they would not have to pay the utilities until their credits are exhausted.

Bourne had addressed reporters in the presence of PUC Chairman, Attorney-at-Law, Dela Britton; Head of Finance Division, Moorsalene Sankar; Secretary to the Commission, Vidiahar Persaud; and Engineer, Nikita Somwaru.
That aside, Britton, who took office in June 2017, said the PUC, in keeping with its mandate to regulate, investigate and enforce, will be expanding its services. She explained that the Commission is exploring the possibilities of establishing a division in Essequibo to complement its work at Queenstown, and the division at Port Mourant, Berbice.
Additionally, Britton said the Commission in the near future will be placing complaint forms at all post offices, hospitals, libraries and at Giftland Office Max, in addition to the Oasis Restaurant.

Alluding to a familiarisation meeting that took place shortly after her appointment between PUC and the utilities, Britton noted that the companies had committed to collaborate with the Commission with the aim of alleviating any bottlenecks within the system of communication.
Turning her attention to the complaints, Britton said once the Commission has sufficient evident that a utility has continuous failed to put corrective measures in place, the company can be sanctioned.

“If they fail and continue to fail…we would then meet as a Commission, and we would then take those complaints to the commission level and then decide if that complaint A) warrant a hearing or B) warrant a sanction,” she explained.
The most stringent option, she pointed out, is closure of the utility, however, the Commission over the years have utilised monetary sanctions.