OUR: Utility consumers receive over $20 million in credits and compensation in April-June quarter

Utility consumers received more than $20 million in credits and compensation during the April to June quarter, following complaint-resolution interventions by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) and payments for breaches of guaranteed service standards.

According to the OUR’s quarterly report, approximately $8.75 million was secured through the regulator’s Consumer Affairs Unit, while the National Water Commission (NWC) paid approximately $11.35 million in compensation under the Guaranteed Standards regime.

Of the amount secured through the OUR’s intervention, the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) accounted for approximately $3.6 million, or 41 per cent.

The NWC followed with $3.1 million, representing 36 per cent, while Columbus Communications (Flow) accounted for approximately $1.05 million, or 12 per cent.

Can-Cara Development Limited accounted for another $781,000, or nine per cent, with Cable & Wireless Jamaica (Flow), Dynamic Environmental Management Limited and Digicel making up the remainder.

The OUR noted that approximately 73 per cent of the amount secured through its intervention represented credits recorded during the reporting period but applied to customers’ accounts by service providers in previous periods.

Meanwhile, the NWC reported 3,194 breaches of Guaranteed Standards during the quarter, a 46 per cent decline compared with the preceding period.

The utility paid approximately $11.35 million in compensation through automatic credits, representing 73 per cent of the potential $15.59 million payout.

The OUR said the unpaid portion related to breaches for which customers had not submitted the required claim forms, as well as breaches covered by the NWC’s request for force majeure relief following Hurricane Melissa. That request remains under review by the regulator.

Most of the NWC’s reported breaches were concentrated in five standards, led by those relating to complaint investigations and meter repairs or replacements.

The OUR also disclosed that JPS’s Guaranteed Standards performance reports for the first and second quarters remain outstanding.

The regulator’s April-to-June 2026 quarterly report is available at www.our.org.jm.

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