KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) has directed the National Water Commission (NWC) to stop charging a late payment fee on bills, with immediate effect.

The OUR, in a statement this afternoon also said that the NWC had been directed to cease sending multiple bills within a single billing cycle and have been advised that only one bill should be sent to customers per billing cycle.According to the OUR, following the directives, issued on March 31, the NWC has submitted information on the issues it said resulted in the erroneous application of the late payment fee and the steps it has taken to address those issues.The OUR said it is currently assessing NWC’s response and will make a determination on the way forward.The OUR said its investigation into the issue came against the background of complaints received from NWC customers that the late payment fees were being applied to their accounts although their bills were settled in full on, or before the due dates.The OUR said it found that NWC’s application of late payment fees in some instances contravened the OUR-approved terms for the application of the fees.Regarding the issuance of multiple bills to customers during a billing cycle, the OUR said it took the position that customers reasonably expect to be issued with one bill in a single period.Further, the OUR said that the practice of multiple bills in a billing cycle would only serve to perpetuate the erroneous application of the late payment fee, in that customers may be subject to the fee being applied in a billing period although they would have previously settled an initial bill issued by the NWC on or before the due date specified in that bill.