KINGSTON, Jamaica  — The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) says it has recorded a 51 per cent increase in customer complaints in 2020 compared to 2019.

According to the OUR, there were 6,345 customer contacts during the year, compared to 4,190 in the prior year.

Matters pertaining to the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) received the highest number of complaints when compared to other utility companies, the OUR said in a report today. There were 2,448 complaints about JPS in 2020, up from 1,571 in 2019, registering a 56 per cent     increase. The National Water Commission (NWC) received the second highest number of complaints: 1,253 in 2020, compared to 984 in 2019, a 27 per cent increase over the year.

The OUR said that billing matters accounted for 49 per cent of the contacts during the year, and reflected a 61 per cent increase over 2019 as there were 3,109 complaints received regarding billing in 2020, compared to 1,927 in 2019. JPS and NWC accounted for the highest billing related complaints. 

The total sum secured for some utility consumers through the intervention of OUR’s Consumer Affairs Unit in 2020 was $59,261,019, the agency said.

JPS accounted for 98 per cent of this amount, while the remaining two per cent of credits was shared among C&WJ, Columbus Communications (Flow), Digicel and the NWC, according to the OUR.