LIME’s decision to introduce a charge for printed bills has led to the highest number of customer complaints for 2014, according to the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) quarterly performance report.

For the October to December 2014 quarter, the number of contacts to the Consumer Affairs Unit (CAU) totalled 759, which represents the highest number of contacts received when compared with previous quarters during 2014, the OUR stated.

The increase in contacts was attributed to a 44 per cent surge in the number of contacts relating to services provided by telecommunications provider LIME, when compared to the preceding quarter.

“The noticeable increase in customer contact was as a result of LIME’s decision to introduce a charge for the preparation and delivery of paper bills. LIME advised that this move was in an effort to encourage customers to opt for receiving bills by e-mail; which in its view was a more environmentally friendly choice,” the OUR said.

Last year, the company had proposed to charge a fee of $225 to each customer who opted to receive paper billing as of January 1, 2015, but later ditched its plans after the announcement triggered widespread protest.

“Following the general public outcry, the OUR held a meeting with LIME representatives which resulted in the company postponing the implementation date for the paper bill charge from January 1, 2015,” stated the Office of Utilities Regulation.

However, the OUR is continuing its discussions with LIME regarding the validity and reasonableness of the proposed charge.

LIME totalled 378 customer contacts against its rival Digicel which totalled 162 for the period under review. For the quarter ending September, LIME also had 74 per cent higher complaints than Digicel.

In the meantime, LIME has upgraded its e-billing system and is encouraging more customers to sign up for the system.

LIME’s Chief Executive Officer Garfield Sinclair stated that receiving bills by e-mail is a growing industry trend that the company hopes customers will increasingly adopt with greater broadband penetration in the future. Sinclair also emphasised the positive environmental contribution each customer could make, should they choose eco-friendly e-billing.