“It's
an absolutely great move, we have been calling for this for a long time now so
it is good that the Government has finally stepped in.....In life you have to
crawl before you can walk so we welcome it.....It's something that we have been
working with the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association and the (Jamaica) Chamber
of Commerce on, and I want to talk to them. I don't think I have a comment on
it right now”
Brian Pengelley,
President of the JMA (Jamaica Manufacturers' Association) in comments with
regards to Industrial Rate Reductions from JPS Co to The Jamaica Gleaner on
Wednesday February 20, 2013
Prepaid
Power is coming as promised in July 2013, to the delight of Prepaid Mobile
phone addicts in Jamaica as noted in “Prepaid
Power? - Gov't flirts with possibility of buying Electricity before actual use”,
published Wednesday February 20, 2013, The Jamaica Gleaner.
This
along with a reduction in Electricity Rates for Industrial Users come July
2013, a little after the start of the Hurricane season as promised by Minister
of Science Technology, Energy and Mining, Phillip Paulwell in the article “Paulwell
promises reduction in Electricity bills by July”,
published Tuesday, February 19, 2013 | 3:05 PM, The Jamaica Observer
is sure to be welcome news!
And
clearly, from the quotes above, Brian Pengelley, President of the JMA (Jamaica
Manufacturers' Association) welcomes this move as noted in “'An
absolutely great move'”, published Wednesday February 20,
2013, by Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner,
as it’s a long time coming.
It’s
part of a raft of proposals by the JPS Co (Jamaica Public Service Company)
that’s got the Ministry of Science Technology, Energy and Mining’s rubber-stamp
approval:
1. Prepaid
Metering System aka Prepaid Power
2. Incentive
for customers who pay their bills on time, basically a treat
3. Late-payment
fee instead of disconnections
4. Reductions
in the order of 25% on rates for large businesses
The
Public is mainly unsure as noted in “Consumers
unsure about Prepaid Electricity”, published Tuesday
February 26, 2013, by Anastasia Cunningham, News Coordinator, The Jamaica Gleaner,
especially but secretly elated about, based on word-on-the-street.
Areas
of Jamaica that are especially plagued by Electricity theft, mainly Denham Town
and Majesty Gardens aren’t too keen on a concept they can’t bypass as noted in
“Denham
Town, Majesty Gardens residents say system won't work”,
published Tuesday February 26, 2013, The
Jamaica Gleaner, so for them, I’d suggest a few simple
ideas to JPS Co:
1. Insulation
installed on the Power Lines to prevent Throw-ups
2. Mandated
Digital Meters and Prepaid Power for users with a history of Electricity theft
3. Cameras
installed to watch areas know for illegal throw-ups with JPS Co NOC (Network
Operation Center) doing the watchin’
4. Further
installation of the thus far successful RAMI (Residential Automated Metering
Infrastructure) as described in “JPS
says RAMI significantly reducing Electricity theft”,
published Thursday, April 21, 2011, The Jamaica Observer
The
RAMI system “trips” the Power in the area when Electricity usage exceeds a
preset threshold due to illegal throw-ups, basically acting like a very large
breaker. But as you may have noticed, Prepaid Electricity from JPS Co is coming
as promised.
As
promised?
Yes
indeed, as it had been suggested by President and CEO of JPS Co Kelly Tomblin at The Jamaica
Observer’s Monday Exchange dated Monday 12th November 2012 as
recorded in the article “Time
to top-up your Power”, published Wednesday, November 14,
2012 BY SHAMILLE SCOTT
Business reporter, The Jamaica Observer.
The
incentives or “treats”, again a concept borrowed from Telecoms Providers and as
such may be welcome, and like Prepaid Power, is also borrowed from Telecoms
Providers. This may be in the form of Prizes related to Electricity, such:
1. Rewarding
customer who pays their bill on time with 3 month’s free Electricity (wishful
thinking!)
2. Removal
of their Monthly rental (more likely!)
3. A
free Energy Audit (very likely!)
4. An
Energy Saving Package that may include Energy saving products such as
Fluorescent of LED (Light emitting Diode) Bulbs and even Solar Panels that you
pay for (Bingo!)
Late
fees instead of disconnection is also derived from Telecoms but reversed; we
call this ETF (Early Termination Fees) for customers on a two (2) year
contracts that wanna cut early. That system is not perfect, but it works for
Telecoms Providers, as when you hit people in their pockets, they’re likely to
think twice about wanting to switch.
JPS
Co is being cost effective and proactive; this reduces the cost of sending out
contractors to re-connect delinquent customers and most importantly gets JPS Co
ready for competition as it sets up the mirror-image of ETF EXACTLY as it
operates in the Telecoms World to prevent people from switching to competitors when
a fully Liberalized Energy Environment comes online.
The
catch: you have to get a special Digital Meter as explained back then in my blog
article entitled “JPS
Co to introduce Prepaid Power and other Services by 2013 - Twilight Saga
Breaking Dawn 2 Signals Coming Competition from Alternative Energy”.
Now
on to the Industrial users!
The
reduction in Electricity rates is aimed mainly at encouraging increased
investment and production from Industrial Manufacturers who are in the upper
twenty (20) heavy users of Electricity and are switching to Alternative Energy.
The
measures are as follows:
1. 25% Discount on the non-fuel tariff portions
of their bills i.e. Power from Alternative Energy Sources
2. Time of Use (TOU) discounts for
using Electricity during Off-Peak hours, which is the same periods of time as
in the Telecoms
Point of reference here. In the Telecoms World, as in
the Power Engineering World, Peak and Off Peak hours are defined as thus:
1.
Peak is from
7:00am to 6:59pm the following day Monday to Friday
2.
Off peak being
7:00pm to 6:59am the following day, Monday to Friday
3.
Weekends is
regarded as starting on Friday at 7:00pm and ending on the following Monday at
6:59am.
I say “switching” as that they only way they’ll get
truly benefit from this reduction is if the GOJ increases Alternative Energy
usage in Jamaica to at least 11% as noted in “In five months, Wigton saves Jamaica $229 million”, published Sunday September 25, 2011, The Jamaica
Gleaner, which would constitute the
bulk of the “non-fuel” tariffs.
But as President of the JMA
Brian Pengelley says, you have to crawl before you can walk and these
initiatives achieve just that! Stay tuned as I track these developments coming
in July 2013 as JPS Co copies Telecom Providers as it performs The Last Exorcism Part
II (2013) of Jamaicans who steal Electricity.