Jacqueline Barnes — the woman whose electricity bill jumped from $2,000 to $150,000 in one month — is now a happy customer of the Jamaica Public Service Company Ltd (JPS).

One week after the Jamaica Observer highlighted her plight with the utility company, Barnes was informed that her problem had finally been addressed.

“They called me [last Thursday] and told me that my account was rectified. It (the account) gone into a credit state now an dem (JPS) owe me $4,000,” an elated Barnes told the Sunday Observer.

For the past four years, Barnes has been grappling with the energy company having been told that her bill had made such a jump.

In the article last Sunday, Barnes shared that since 2012 she has had problems with her electricity supply.

Among these problems were a lack of electricity for approximately two months on two separate occasions, low voltage which caused only one room to have electricity in the house and being reassigned three electric meters in the eight years of being a customer.

When she was asked how she coped, Barnes said: “Me beg somebody put down mi tings next door inna him fridge and mi use mi lamp, an mi beg dem charge mi phone an mi listen to mi phone inna di darkness. Me couldn’t iron, me haffi iron pan stove.”

Barnes also received estimated bills for an extended period and was encouraged to ignore the estimation and pay the regular amount nonetheless, which she did.

At one point, Barnes said she was told that as a result of this, her account had gone into a credit state of $50,000 — meaning the company owed her this amount.

But months later she received a bill stating that she owed the company roughly $150,000 and had used 4197 kwh in a month.

Barnes’ frustration was relieved last Thursday when she got a call from a JPS representative bearing good news.

“She call me an tell me that the huge amount gone an say dem credit me $4000,” a relieved Barnes stated.

Having received that redeeming call last week, Barnes said she is now anticipating a confirmation in writing.

“Me say to her that is your word of mouth an she say she will call me back when the bill is out,” Barnes said in reference to the call.

“I wouldn’t get the bill yet,” she added.

When asked whether or not the company explained what had happened with her account initially, she said: “All she say she take it (the lump sum) off and what have you.”

Though the company could not explain what caused the increase, Barnes said she is happy for the outcome.

“Cause I keep tell her that I don’t burn it (the 4197kWh) an I continue pay more than what the meter was reading so me a wait until this month [end] to see,” Barnes stated.