“We
wanted to get it in and piloted before our Customer Information System upgrade.
We will be able to roll it out after the pilot, we think in the fourth quarter
islandwide. We are excited for customer”
CEO of JPS Co (Jamaica
Public Service Company) Kelly Tomblin commenting on plans to implement Prepaid Power
in Jamaica
Finally
at long last, the JPS Co (Jamaica Public Service Company) has made up its mind
and has announced plans to roll out Prepaid Power by December 2014 as announced
in “Prepaid
electricity service for Jamaicans by year-end”, published Sunday July 27,
2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.
JPS
Co has allegedly been testing Prepaid Power under the quiet among a select set
of Guinea-Pigs….er, I mean customers….. in Portmore, St. Catherine. It should
have come on stream back in July 2013, a
topic about which I’d written and had actually been interviewed on
CVM TV on Monday May 20th 2013 as I’d chronicled in my blog
article entitled “Prepaid
Power coming in July 2013 - A Chip, a Pebble a Rock and a Block would make
Prepaid Power The Kings of Summer”.
Prepaid
Power by December 2014 - Remote Billing and Remote Disconnection a possibility
No
details on Prepaid Power, muchless the name, save to say the concept is very
similar to Prepaid Voucher Credit from Telecom Providers as explained in my blog article
entitled “JPS
Co introduces Prepaid Power and reduces Industrial Electricity Rates in July
2013 - JPS Co copies Telecom Providers as it performs The Last Exorcism Part II
of Jamaicans stealing Electricity”.
All
controllable via a Digital Smart meter whose usage you can gauge via an App on
your smartphone or query via SMS (Short Messaging Service) or Text Messaging.
Prepaid Power would basically be configured like Prepaid Data Plans as used by
Telecom Providers and would be broken down into four possible services:
1.
1 Day Power Services
2.
7 Day Power Services
3.
14 Day Power Services
4.
30 Day Power Services
This would make Remote Billing and Remote
Disconnection a possibility as described in my Geezam
blog article entitled “JPS
Co Analog Meter upgrade heralds Remote Billing Revolution”. One thing is for
sure though; if this is implemented, it’ll be as popular as Prepaid smartphones!
And
just as the JA$3999 Huawei Ascend Y330 smartphones from Telecom Provider LIME is
popular as declared in my blog article entitled
“JA$3999
Huawei Ascend Y330 vs JA$7599 Digicel DL700 this Summer of 2014 - Waggonists
Transfer Form not Required to get new smartphone”, it may be powered by Telecom
Provider LIME Data Network.
Prepaid Power by
December 2014 – How SolarMill Alternative will be a part of Prepaid Power
Since
July 2013, a lot has happened.
For
one, JPS Co in September 2013 has entered into a deal with US Based WindStream Technologies to market
their SolarMill Technology in Jamaica as noted in my blog article
entitled “JPS
Co decided to market WindStream Technologies SolarMill, the all-in-one hybrid
Solar and Wind Generator - Winter is Coming for a Game of Thrones in Jamaica”.
Additionally
the CET (Common External Tariff) on Alternative Energy Gear has been removed since
February 2014 my blog article
entitled “Common
External Tariff Removed from Alternative Energy and Energy-Saving Devices -
Prepaid Power realistically Possible as Electricity Thieves can seek Repentance
by going Solar”. The importation of Solar Panels and anything Alternative
Energy related is a little cheaper for the financially well-off.
JPS
Co may thus have plans to not only implement Prepaid Power, but to also
introduce other services tied to Alternative Energy. This as Prepaid Power
requires that the customer’s Premesis have a Digital Meter to accurately gauge Power
usage, Provider Remote Billing Services and Remote Disconnection once the
amount that the customer has paid for in KWh has been used as per my blog article
entitled “JPS Co New Digital
Meters are all Smart Meters - Winsome Callum's A Simple Twist of Fate”.
Once
installed and a customer is on the Prepaid Meter System, which of course is a
Digital Meter, they may in the future opt to have a SolarMill
installed at their Premesis. This option would be via an Alternative Energy
Loan in partnership with ScotiaBank or JNBS (Jamaican National Building
Society) as described in my blog
article entitled “ScotiaBank
and VMBS now offering Alternative Energy Loans - Rise of the Guardians to make
Solar Power affordable to Jamaicans”..
Then
the customer would pay a Flat Rate Power Service Plan instead of a 1 Day, 7
Day, 14 Day or 30 Day Power Services Plan. That Flat Rate Power Service Plan covers
both the loan repayment for the SolarMill as well as Billing for usage.
This
would effectively the equivalent of a Prepaid Data Plan usually used by Telecom
Providers to provide Electricity as described in my blog article entitled
“Digicel's
JA$70 Data Plans vs LIME's JA$50 Data Plans - How to choose 3-Day and 30-Day
Data Plans in Jamaica”.
That
last part may sound crazy. In fact, ludicrous!
But
considering that Electricity Costs may not go down anytime soon via the so-far
stalled 381 MW LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) Project described in my blog article
entitled “Dr.
Vincent Lawrence to oversee the 381 MW LNG Project - All Powerful Essene
Brotherhood to Resurrect PNP General Election 2016 Win like Osiris”,
anything is possible.
It
wouldn’t be surprising to see JPS Co go this route of Flat Rate Power Service
Plan to BOTH sell both WindStream
Technologies SolarMill Technology
All
in a bid to provide a service and be paid for said service, which is the production and Distribution of Electricity,
be it generated or from Alternative Energy Sources. Stay tuned as mode Details
come to light!
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