By Eileen Cox
The experiences of a senior citizen with Guyana Power & Light Inc shows the inefficiency of the corporation and calls for immediate remedial action.
A senior citizen living in a very small apartment with one small fluorescent tube and a television set which she uses only for news broadcasts was disconnected from electricity for four months, January to April this year.
In March she approached the Guyana Consumers Association (GCA) and sought help. Early in May she was reconnected with the assistance of the Revenue Manager. On Friday, May 23 the disconnection team visited her premises and cut the electric wires.
She is diabetic and dreads the darkness of the night. Naturally, she was distraught and again came to GCA for help. On Saturday May 24, she received a letter from GPL which was dated May 7, 2008 but only delivered on that date. The letter stated:
“Please be informed that an investigation into your billing for the period January to February 2008 revealed that Guyana Power & Light Inc had over-billed your electricity account due to incorrect/estimate reading used during the bill processing for the stated period.
“We have recognized this problem and have made an adjustment of 245 kilowatt hours (units) valued at $13,176.00 for the same period.
“The meter reading, therefore, has been corrected and changed to 440 as at February 2008 to allow for easy computation and correction of your account.
“This adjustment will appear as a Miscellaneous Charge (Credit) on your March 2008 bill.
“Please feel free to contact our Customer Services Department via the above telephone number for further information and clarification.”
The letter was signed for A. Johnson, Commercial Officer, Customer Services.
With joy in her heart she hurried down to the head office of GPL in Main Street and showed the letter to the clerk at the disconnection counter. Imagine her surprise when the clerk opened her computer and told her: “You have to pay $240,000.” She was told that she would be reconnected when she signed an agreement to pay and made a deposit.
Back to square one. There was nothing for us to do but to telephone GPL using the telephone number and one of the extensions. It was not possible to speak to Mr Johnson or Mrs Johnson, the only two persons in the Customer Services Department who could make decisions. The caller is asked to leave a message but you know full well that no action will be taken.
There is no compensation for all the distress suffered by the consumer.
With many customers being wrongfully disconnected it is not adequate that only two persons are making decisions when there are problems. GPL exhorts consumers to conserve on electricity, but when bills are low they send a team to estimate or over-estimate.
There is another issue. For several months we have been indicating to GPL that many, many refrigerators consume less than 90 units per month. Yet according to the company’s energy guide a refrigerator burns 90 units per month. Why does the company not carry out a test?
We still hope that one day there will be a customer-friendly GPL.
We may blame the quality of service we now receive from government departments, the GWI and GPL on the brain drain, but it is also a reflection on the education system in our schools.
