–or risk losing power

THE Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is issuing an urgent warning to approximately 18,000 prepaid customers, urging them to upgrade their meters before the October 31 deadline, or risk losing access to electricity.
The utility company is transitioning to a new version of the Standard Transfer Specification (STS) to comply with international standards, which requires customers to upgrade their prepaid meters. This upgrade will enhance GPL’s overall service, and offer better functionality for users across the country.
Rhonda LaFargue, Divisional Director of Customer Services at GPL, emphasised the necessity of the upgrade, explaining, “With an upgraded system, there is better functionality, so it’s necessary that we are a part of that.” She further warned that failure to upgrade within the deadline would result in power loss, as meters will no longer be able to accept prepaid tokens after the transition.
To facilitate the process, eligible customers should immediately contact GPL at 603-8635 or 690-3128 for assistance. Once eligibility is confirmed, GPL staff will provide three tokens—two upgrade tokens and one test token to confirm the upgrade’s success. “It’s a simple process that a customer can do themselves, and it takes about two minutes,” LaFargue noted.
GPL has taken proactive steps to notify and assist customers by publishing meter numbers eligible for the upgrade, promoting contact information, and conducting community outreaches.
For those with non-upgradable meters, GPL is committed to ensuring no customer is left without power.
As Guyana continues to modernise, the government remains dedicated to staying up-to-date with necessary advancements to ensure all citizens have access to reliable and essential services.