Georgetown: The Guyana Power and Light Executive Officials yesterday underwent an inaugural review of the company’s performance targets by the Public Utilities Commission which resulted in a fiery sessions between stakeholders and company officials.
It was pointed out by the PUC Chairman Justice Prem Persaud, that the review of the GPL’s performance targets included Consumer Interruptions (black-outs), meter reading issuance of bills, accounts payable and receivable as well as system losses.
On the issue of blackouts it was pointed out by one executive, Elwood Marshall, that while the company is still grappling with the issue of interruptions of power supply some progress has been made and blamed some 40 percent of the blackouts to ‘generators tripping.’
He said too that some of the more negligible reasons for power interruptions were related to weather and demand outstripping supply among others.
Marshall did point out that the generator sets used by the power company vary in age with some as much as 25 year-old and as such maintenance would also account for some of the power interruptions.
As it relates to the age old problem of the power company for various reasons generating ‘estimated’ bills for consumer he pointed out that the new fiber optic cable being installed by the power company as part of a US$43 upgrade to the system, would not reduce the instances.
He did point out that the power company is exploring several options available and has experienced some success.
Marshall said that one area where there is a higher concentration of estimated bill would be that of the new housing schemes such as the one developed in Diamond on the East Bank.
This stems from a logistical limbo where the company’s meter readers are dispatched at a time when more of the consumers would not be at home or the meters are positioned making the reading difficult.
This has resulted in a number of consumers having their bills from the power company based on an estimation.
He said that the fiber optic cables despite its numerous advantages would not have an impact on the estimation of bills as it will not address the issue of remote meter reading.
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