Dear Editor,
The Guyana Water Inc is perpetrating an unfair act on their customers and calling it a precaution to prevent theft. Their procedure is set up in such a tactful manner, that customers have to be keenly observant to notice it. The system is set up in relation to metered and non-metered services. Where the metered service is concerned, the customer is charged by way of a usage reading. But in the case of the unmetered charges, a customer pays on an estimate given by GWI.
A senior citizen had her service disrupted for a late payment. GWI removed everything, including the meter from her property. They claimed that if they left the meter, the customer would steal water by illegal manipulation. That is untrue and not a valid deterrent, for the only function of the meter is to measure actual usage. The senior citizen paid the late fee charges, plus $16,000.00 for the reinstallation of all the equipment they had removed. This should have included her meter. But the meter was not returned; it appears GWI’s left hand did not inform the right hand exactly what they had done, or didn’t do. As a result when she received her bill it stated she had a metered service which she did not permit them to read, and was penalized, despite the fact their computerized data system said she had no meter. So they charged her three times her usual metered charges based on their estimate and further threatened a second disruption.
GWI should have their system calibrated for the benefit of their customers. A utility provider should be more ably managed so as to treat their customers with fairness. There are some people who steal services, but those people should be hunted down and prosecuted. And, as to the disruption of services, they could contact and consult their customers, especially senior citizens, before taking stringent action.
Yours faithfully,
Jorge Bowenforbes
