The Editor, Sir:

It was reported in a recent business news report on CVM Television that the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) would apply a three per cent increase to this month's electricity bill.

The light and power company claims it has to purchase oil one month in advance for the coming month and that at the time when oil prices were high, they had already bought oil to supply for the month of July so we would not see a decrease now (August), with the declining prices of oil on the international scene.

Understanding

Maybe I am not understanding correctly, but if oil for August was purchased in July and July's oil was purchased in June and we did not have an increase in July's light bills (when oil prices were high), why are we having an increase of three per cent for the month of August?

Is it that it is trying to make us pay in advance for the possible decrease in light bills that it says might take effect in September based on the decrease in oil prices for this month?

Oil prices

When oil prices were decreasing in the previous months, did it make any adjustment to decrease the light bill during that period?

Why is it that every time something happens that affects the light and power company we, the consumers, have to be digging deeper into our pockets?

I am, etc.,

Simone Sampson

Kingston