John Myers Jr., Staff Reporter
THE WAR of words between the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) and the Bureau of Standards of Jamaica (BSJ) over the testing of electricity meters is heating up.
JPS president Charles Matthews has said his company has no plans to withdraw a lawsuit against the Bureau to prevent it from testing JPS meters.
In a letter to Phillip Paulwell, the Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology on Tuesday, a copy of which was obtained by The Gleaner, Mr. Matthews also remarked that "it is quite clear that, as constructed, the primary effect of the BSJ programme will be to generate quite substantial additional revenue for that organisation while passing on significant added costs to our (JPS) customers."
According to a source close to the JPS, the utility company was recently sent a bill for $14,000 by the BSJ for testing one of its meters. The source noted that the JPS found the cost unusually high, especially since it cost only US$25 ($1,550) to buy a new meter.
FRAMEWORK FOR TESTING
In the letter Mr. Matthews said: "We have not, to date, received a proposal setting out a framework for meter testing that is consistent with the principles that have been agreed to several months ago by the Bureau, the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), and JPS."
"As a result, there has been no commitment on the part of the utility (company) to withdraw the case that was filed in the Supreme Court earlier this year," the JPS said in a separate statement.
As such, the injunction obtained by the JPS, barring the BSJ from testing the approximately 540 JPS meters islandwide was expected to remain in place.
The revelation came a day after Mr. Paulwell announced that the impasse was settled and instructions had been given for the OUR to proceed with negotiations for resuming testing of the meters.
"This having been achieved, the JPS is expected to withdraw the court action against the BSJ, putting the vexing issue at an end," Mr. Paulwell said on Monday.
David Geddes, director of communications and consumer affairs at the OUR said he would not comment on any legal proceedings between the JPS and the BSJ. However, he said: "We are in the process of issuing a directive to the JPS that will clearly state the circumstances under which the Bureau of Standards will test the meters."
Mr. Geddes added that "the OUR has the authority to test the meters and any of our agents can test the meters and if the Bureau of Standards is acting on our authority, then they can test the meters."
Mr. Paulwell yesterday said the price of $14,000 for testing a single meter seemed "exhorbitant".
He continued to back the BSJ: "I would advise the BSJ to vigorously contest the lawsuit. The BSJ and the OUR agreed the way forward and there can be no question as to the role of the Bureau of Standards in testing meters."
The impasse over the testing of meters came to the fore earlier this year when the BSJ, claiming it was acting under the Weights and Measures Act of 1976, began carrying out tests on JPS meters following numerous complaints from consumers that they were receiving unusually high bills in November last year.
The proliferation of high bills came in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, which struck the island last September.
