The Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) in its determination to recover outstanding revenue and reduce losses due to electricity theft is speeding up the system improvement and loss reduction work to standardize the network in the West Ruimveldt area.
According to a release from the electricity company, in recent times a determined stance has been taken to bring all networks to one acceptable standard and many areas in and out of Georgetown have been earmarked for this type of upgrade with some areas already being reconfigured.
The release added that West Ruimveldt is just one of the areas identified at present to have its network reconfigured and in an effort to have this exercise completed the first phase of the project has been started.
“The company is more than determined to recover all outstanding revenue from its owing customers and to reduce the amount of losses it incurred due to electricity theft. Therefore with the standardization of all its networks it is believed that the reduction of losses will be realized and both the company and customers will benefit,” the release added.
The company is also hoping for a better understanding of the nature of the exercise being conducted at present in West Ruimveldt by the residents and the general public.
The exercise will continue in other areas identified for network upgrading, the release said.
Earlier this month residents of West Ruimveldt between Cactus Street and Sunflower Drive blocked roadways and set fires to protest what they said was the unfair disconnection of power in the area by GPL.
Over 500 households were left without power after GPL employees moved fuses from a transformer that supplies the area.
GPL has since said that this was all part of a campaign to recoup the $120M that was owed by residents in the area.
Director of Commercial Services at GPL, Kesh Nandlall had told this newspaper that 85% of the residents were receiving power and not paying for it.
He explained that GPL could not disconnect effectively because everyone in that area was tapping power from other residents. He had said that in order to solve this problem the network will have to be reconstructed.
