A review of the back-billing process employed by the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) to recover its losses is outdated and overcharged customers, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has stated.
According to a release from the PUC, an internal forensic audit of complaints it received against GPL was conducted with a concentration on the segment of consumers by whom it was alleged electricity theft was perpetuated. The study revealed that the appliance audit list which was utilised for over 15 years to back-bill consumers’ accounts required urgent revision.
It explained that ‘back-billing’ is the process used by the utility company to recover commercial losses from electricity theft such as meter tampering, meter bypass, and defective meters. When electricity theft is detected, GPL is required to retroactively bill consumers’ accounts to recover from the electricity utilised but not recorded by the meter for a period not exceeding 24 months.
The PUC said it recognised that the measurements on the list of appliances were outdated and so “seized the opportunity” to review the existing appliance list and collaborate with GPL to determine new measurements. The study, it informed, involved an analysis of best practices in the Caribbean and an examination of frequently used appliances.
As such, a compilation of new kilowatt hour ((kWh) values was created which in turn will allow for a reduction in the values assigned to most of the appliances in use in Guyana.
The new consumption index will be made effective from July 1, 2023 and the list will be found on the PUC’s website www.puc.org.gy the release added.
