We have a problem with light in Jamaica. It’s expensive and while customers accuse the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) of stealing from us, we’ve also been stealing from them. Everyone from ghetto residents to prominent businessman and even churches have been caught stealing light.

Although it has to be said the best part is that when government sold off 80 per cent of JPS to the previous cowboy owners…they allowed them a clause in their contract that actually guaranteed them a profit. Yes, that’s why multinational corporations love Third World countries like ours.

So still, each month, each of us that do honestly pay the our bills in full fear the monthly envelope from JPS. And actually we’ve been learning that yes, we Joe Public can take our own steps to reduce our personnel bills and reduce the national oil import bill (95 per cent of energy bills), which is draining our foreign exchange reserves.

But what has been really ridiculous is that in a country with so much sunshine and among a population of 2.7 million the number of buildings with solar panels remains in the single-thousands.

Basically renewable technology is just too damn expensive in expensive and remains a rich man’s hobby, complain many. This despite concessionary loans from the state-owned National Housing Trust (NHT) and GCT and import duty exemptions.

So here comes the good news: Government plans to introduce net metering, allowing JPS customers to sell back to the grid at the same price we buy it, effectively winding back the meter - but this time without the tampering.

Read more HERE

Source: Jamaica Observer