Dear Editor,
About two weeks ago I went home and realized that there was no electricity. At first I thought it was a power outage, however there was music coming from my next door neighbour. Knowing that I had paid my electricity bill before the due date I did not think that I was disconnected. To my surprise I was.
The next morning I went into the Guyana Power and Light head office on Main Street to enquire why I was disconnected.
The Customer Service Clerk told me that my account was back billed for six months for an amount of $48,795, due to the meter under recording. It is absolutely outrageous that I have to pay for GPL’s negligence and the most the company can offer is a four months’ payment plan.
In all fairness if GPL meters are malfunctioning, letters should be sent to the consumers informing them about the defective meters.
In my opinion Guyana Power and Light is in the habit of back billing customers’ accounts to offset the losses coming from illegal connections and theft of electricity. It is the company’s way of fleecing the small man, or is the company in a financial crisis?
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
I was once mistakenly disconnected by GPL. I made a detailed (and courteous) report at the nearest GPL office and the very afternoon I was reconnected. No fuss. No argument. No reconnection fee. No bribe. Maybe I’m just lucky. Or is it something else…
Did you try taking your case to the PUC for any redress?
Hackett – You’ve the Midas touch!
Hackett – Does the M your name stands for Midas?
Michael – Hebrew for “Who is like God?”
It is my personal belief that back-billing should only be allowed in the case of deliberate stealing of electricity, not faulty meters.
GPL has however been allowed to trample on Guyanese through its back-billing – which I am sure is subject to actions before the Courts and the PUC. I believe that the GPL License/Standard Terms and Conditions allow it such excesses and this is the first thing that needs to be changed.
Secondly, we need to remove all the current people on the PUC and replace them with independent persons who will actually ensure that things are done in the interest of consumers.
I paid a extra bill of $82,300.00 for my home in Guyana which is locked up sometimes for over a year.All that’s on is three lihts and a fridg on the inside, four security lights on the outside which is on a timers. Them fellas said i was stealing electricity fuh years.I did not have the time to fight with them,and since i don’t live in the Country i did not want the lights to be turned off. By the way, I had to get a letter from a license electrician saying i was not stealing power,i handed it over to them fellas , and thats de end of de story. Look, I know it was a shake down but in Guyana that is legal,you don’t need a gun fuh do da.
Sad.. someone needs to shake down this monopoly.
GPL has the world of problems which i think is coming from the management of that company.The government should be looking at finding better people for top management or send the present set to do a diploma in management, because i don,t think that anybody there is educated enough to run that company.
No, GPL (copied from FPL,Florida power and Light) should be renamed Guyana half power and half light. For the number of power outages.