KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell has joined calls echoing from around the country for light and power provider Jamaica Public Service to address the spike in electricity bills.

In a tweet this afternoon, Powell said, “@myJPSonline wah really ah gwane? My bill jumped over 20k+ each month. I’ve a solar panel system set up…when we saw the 1st increase we decided to purposely cut back on washing etc 2c if the bill would go down it went up more. This is deliberate by you guys plain and simple.”

Several Jamaicans have been complaining about what they describe as irrational increases in their electricity bills since the COVID-19 outbreak and the implementation of work from home protocols.

Customers have even launched a petition to hold the company accountable for “exorbitant” electricity bills during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Over 34,000 people have signed the petition so far.

JPS last month attributed the rise in electricity cost to the devaluation of the Jamaican dollar.  

The company explained that while a base rate of $128 to US$1 has been set by the Office of Utilities Regulation, changes in the value of the dollar could result in the need for the rate applied to bills to be adjusted. 

Opposition spokesman on energy Phillip Paulwell has since appealed to the Government to remove the hedge fund component of the Special Consumption Tax on fuel and the General Consumption Tax on electricity bills, which he said would ensure a reduction of fuel prices at the pump and the lowering of light bills.