Dear Editor,
Please allow me to plead with the new government to address the unfair dealings meted out to Guyana Power and Light (GPL) consumers. Electricity bills have been a source of major distress to citizens. Several letters to the last two presidents were not heeded as what was perpetrated seemed pivotal to the functioning of the GPL. Before the election I highlighted these on social media often.
It is well known that consumers in several areas are stealing electricity but are seldom or never sought. However, in other areas with paying consumers, the GPL regularly harasses them for minor late payments or for tampering with meters. This tampering is most times denied by the victims who have no recourse against legal proceedings taken against them. This would total hundred of thousands in some cases, and must be paid before services can be restored. Linden pays only $5.00 a KwH too.
Then there is this shameless, heartlessness whereby numerous meters that were imported from overseas were supposed to be calibrated as they were severely robbing consumers. These were foisted on unsuspecting business premises. This writer was a victim of this which lasted for over a decade. This meter was installed on my premises on the pretext, as in the case of most others, that there was one meter servicing both residence and business, and two were necessary.
My complaints and objections explaining that since the installation of two meters my bills had doubled even though using the same appliances, etc, were ignored. Lots of businesses have closed as a result of those exorbitant bills.
While GPL is busy disconnecting poor, innocent, overburdened consumers, which is unfair and uncaring, they must also calculate the millions they illegally collected when they installed defective instruments and fleeced consumers. They must refund money improperly acquired.
My defective meter together with others was replaced in 2012. When I enquired from the contractors about the reason I was told it was spinning too fast. On my query whether I was being robbed all along there was no response , obviously.
My appeal to the new caring government is to restore fairness, decency and equity as it cannot be right for the honest payers (some may be stealing because of the high fees) to be penalized and others openly to be overlooked.
This is the sort of corruption we voted to root out.
Yours faithfully,
M Sookraj
