KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) is calling on the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) to ensure fairness and transparency in its billing practices as customers recover from the impact of Hurricane Melissa.

In a statement issued on Friday, the regulator urged JPS to exercise “good practice and reasonable consideration” when preparing bills for customers who may have experienced service disruptions or property damage due to the hurricane.

The OUR noted that billing concerns which arose after Hurricane Beryl in 2024 should serve as a cautionary example, emphasising that similar issues must be avoided this time around. The agency said it will work closely with JPS in a collaborative effort to reduce the risk of “bill shock” among customers.

While acknowledging that some additional costs may be unavoidable, the OUR said these should be distributed over time to prevent sudden spikes in electricity bills.

Customers were also reminded that electricity rates are not arbitrarily increased, as the Electricity Licence, 2016, sets out clear guidelines for rate adjustments, including the calculation formulas, cost elements, and the timeline for tariff reviews.

The OUR added that fluctuations in input costs, such as a temporary reliance on more expensive fuel when natural gas is unavailable, may lead to short-term price adjustments, but these must comply with the licence provisions.

The regulator also cautioned that, depending on the severity of Hurricane Melissa’s impact, JPS may need to issue more consecutive estimated bills than usual. However, the OUR said it will closely monitor this process to protect customers from being unfairly charged.

Following the experience of Hurricane Beryl, the OUR launched an initiative to explore force majeure relief measures for customers affected by natural disasters. Although that project is still underway, the agency said it intends to work with utility companies to identify possible forms of assistance for the most severely affected customers.

The OUR encouraged Jamaicans to stay safe, report outages through official channels, and rely only on credible sources for updates as the country continues its recovery efforts.