Net billing is now back, making Solar Power
installer breathe a sigh of relief.
Net billing is set to resume on Monday, April 11th
2016 as reported in the article “Net
Billing To Resume, Energy Ministry Announces Amnesty”, published Saturday
April 9, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.
This is possible thanks to an agreement between the
Ministry of Science, Technology Energy and Mining, JPS Co (Jamaica Public
Service Company) and the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation). The three bodies
are working on a permanent programme.
According to the Ministry of Science, Technology
Energy and Mining as of March 2015:
1. 351
applications for net billing were received
2. 311
have been granted licences
The is also a six (6) month amnesty in place stating
Monday, April 11th 2016 for persons without a Net Billing license to
obtain one.
JPS
Co and Net Billing – Net Billing suspension related to Revenue erosion by Solar
Installations
Good to note that Net billing had been suspended by
JPS Co on Friday May 1st 2015 as pointed out in my blog article
entitled “JA$4.2
Million Meadowbrook High Solar System - Why JPS Co's Net Billing suspension
killing Jamaican Alternative Energy Sector”.
No reason was given, but clearly, the increasing
number of Net billing applicants had JPS Co were seeing their revenue base was
being eroded by so many people trying to monetize selling their excess
electricity.
However, by January 2016, JPS Co was clearly ready
to embrace a Jamaica going Alternative Energy with the resumption of Net
Billing as reported in the article “Net Billing Programme
to Resume”, published January 28, 2016 By Chris Patterson, The Jamaica Information Service.
JPS
Co and Net Billing – PAYG Digital Meters and mobile App heralds lower
electricity costs
Part of the reason may have been the fact that JPS
Co's grid is switching to Digital Meters with the option to go PAYG (Pays as
You Go) Prepaid as noted in my blog article
entitled “JPS
Co's Prepaid Meters coming in 2016 - Why Prepaid Meters adoption will explode
in Jamaica”.
JPS Co had announced plans to roll out a new Mobile
Money enabled JPS Co smartphone App come September 2016 as noted in my blog article
entitled “How
JPS Co App for Digital smartmeter means paying Electricity Bill via Mobile
Money”
So by then, you'll have the option to pay your
Electricity Bill via this Mobile Money enabled JPS Co smartphone App, possibly
accepting CONEC mobile Wallet payments and
even Digicel and Paymaster Mobile Wallets as predicted in my blog article
entitled “Why
CONEC Mobile Money to pay JPS Co EBILL before Digicel Paymaster Mobile Money”.
More convenient billing options means an increased
number of people willing to be regularized and translates to less delinquent
customers.
Increased efficiencies due to their upgrade of the
Old Harbour Bay, St Catherine Power station to a 190 MW LNG (Liquid Natural
Gas) plant with the help of American contractor New Fortress as detailed in the
article “JPS
Gets Green Light To Build 190MW Plant”, Published Thursday March 24, 2016
by McPherse Thompson, The Jamaica Gleaner
means lower electricity costs in the long term.
Net Billing is now more tolerable as it will
stabilize the grid as they collect from more customers.
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