Consumers deserve more than advice

Sep 17, 2026 Editorial, News

(Kaieteur News) – Last week the Public Utilities Commission called on Guyanese consumers to be more vigilant about the quality of electricity, telecommunications, water and sewerage services they receive. It was an important reminder that consumers have rights and that they should not simply accept poor service as an unavoidable part of daily life.

But there is an important question that the PUC’s latest intervention raises: what happens after consumers complain?

The Commission, during a consumer awareness session with teachers of Brickdam Secondary School, encouraged consumers to first report problems to their service providers and to properly document those complaints. Consumers were advised to keep bills, receipts, complaint reference numbers and correspondence so that there is a record of the matter. That is sensible advice.

However, in a country where citizens continue to raise concerns about electricity reliability, water quality and access, and other essential utility services, consumer education cannot be the beginning and end of the regulatory response. The PUC says that where a matter remains unresolved after the consumer has engaged the service provider, the Commission may be approached for guidance and assistance. It also says it intends to document and assess concerns raised during its awareness exercises and, where necessary, engage the relevant service providers, while monitoring their responses and measures to improve service reliability and voltage performance.

That is precisely where the Commission’s real responsibility begins. Consumers should certainly complain. They should keep the evidence. They should follow the proper procedures. But they should not have to become full-time investigators merely to establish that an essential service is failing them.

Electricity is not a luxury. Water is not a luxury. Telecommunications have become indispensable to modern life. When these services fall below acceptable standards, consumers should have confidence that the regulator will intervene effectively and that complaints will result in meaningful action.

The PUC’s emphasis on teachers is also noteworthy. Teachers are influential members of their communities, and educating them about consumer rights can help spread awareness among students, parents and the wider community. That is a worthwhile initiative. A population that understands how to report problems and seek assistance is better equipped to demand accountability.

But there must be a clear connection between awareness and enforcement. The PUC cannot merely encourage consumers to document repeated failures while service providers continue to determine the pace and quality of the response. If consumers are being told to keep complaint numbers and correspondence, then those records should ultimately help the regulator identify recurring problems, determine whether providers are meeting their obligations and take appropriate action where necessary.

The Commission’s own statement acknowledges the need to strengthen regulatory oversight by listening directly to consumers’ experiences. That should be taken seriously. Guyanese do not need to be persuaded that utility problems exist. They experience them. What they need is confidence that the institutions responsible for regulating these services are listening, investigating and acting.

The PUC deserves credit for taking its consumer education programme into communities and for reminding citizens that they have avenues available when problems arise. But the ultimate test of the regulator will not be the number of awareness sessions conducted or the number of consumers who know where to complain. The real test will be whether those complaints produce results.

Consumers must do their part by reporting problems and keeping proper records. The service providers must do their part by delivering reliable and acceptable services. And the regulator must do its part by ensuring that neither consumers nor their complaints are ignored. Guyanese deserve nothing less than quality, reliable and accountable utility services for the money they pay.

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advice, Public Utilities Commission, quality of electricity, Telecommunications, water

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