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PUC recovers $7.5M for consumers last year
A whopping total of $7.5M in credit was recovered for consumers last year from three utility companies through the unwavering effort of the Public Utilities Commission last year. A major chunk of that total, $6.51M, was recovered from the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL), according to PUC Chairman, Prem Persaud.
From Left: Vidiahar Persaud and Raymond Cummings
He revealed that the Commission, in representing a number of consumers, found that the utility companies were in default last year and it was after conceding that the consumers’ complaints were plausible a decision was made by the entities in default to re-bill consumers.
The PUC, according to the Chairman, has diligently recorded the action that has been taken by the defaulting companies and the sum of money that has been recovered.
He pointed out that the PUC is currently on a mission to ensure that consumers know what they have to do when they are of the belief that they were disadvantaged by any utility company. According to him not only are consumers required to give their correct names, address and number but they should also make a note of the date of complaint.
Should a company found to be in default, Persaud noted that the PUC will impose necessary penalties.
According to the PUC the time allowed for the GPL to respond to repair calls for commercial entities will be one day maximum with a penalty of a one-off fine of $15,000 and one and a half day for residential consumers with a one-off fine of $3,000.
A consumer’s report, the PUC has outlined will be considered made at the time it was registered with the company’s customer service representative and a reference number provided, thus the need for accurate consumer information.
According to PUC Manager, Raymond Cummings, consumers must always seek to request and receive a reference number which should be held for future claims. “If you call and you report that there is a downpour and your area is out of power and they (power company) responded three weeks after and you claimed you made report by a certain time, the first thing you will be asked to do is produce a reference number…”
At the moment consumers can lodge complaints by visiting the PUC 298 Church Street, Queenstown, Georgetown, office or via telephone (227-3293), Fax (227-3534) and by email ([email protected]).
The entity also recently launched a website www.puc.org.gy from which consumers can access complaints from. There are also plans apace to establish branches on the Corentyne and Essequibo Coast and implement a 24-hour service.
According to PUC Secretary and Attorney-at-law, Vidiahar Persaud, it is imperative that consumers are aware that there is a place that they can go to get at least some of their complaints addressed.
“We find, generally, that a lot of the complaints are generally from Georgetown and not really from the other areas. People may feel that you may need to travel to Georgetown to seek some sort of remedial action…at the end, the people need to know that they can basically pick up the phone and lodge a complaint with us especially after going to the utility company and find that your complaint was not properly addressed.”
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