A team from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) on Friday disconnected power supply to a new apartment complex in St Andrew, as the service to the entire housing development had been illegally connected.

This was the second time in as many days that the supply to the complex had been disconnected. Representatives of JPS had disconnected the service on Thursday when the timeline for the temporary supply that is usually provided to facilitate construction, had expired. When the team returned to the location on Friday, it was discovered that the supply had been illegally reconnected. Several apartments that were already occupied, as well as common area lighting and a swimming pool, were found to be benefiting from the illegal power.

The JPS said it has since received an application for permanent supply for the apartment complex from the developer's agents.

The light and power company adds that the developer should have made an application to JPS immediately on completion of construction so that the company could begin the process of providing permanent supply. JPS said this often involves upgrading the existing distribution infrastructure to ensure adequate supply is available to support the additional load expected on the system. It is only after the permanent supply has been made available to the housing complex, that the individual homeowners can apply to JPS for individual accounts.

developer responsible

Because the appropriate steps were not taken to secure permanent power supply for the apartment complex, JPS said the developer would be held responsible for the illegal connections found. The JPS in a release added that the company would be carrying out its own investigations to assist the police in determining the individual or individuals to be prosecuted for the crime. The release said the company would also be taking steps to recover payment for all the electricity determined to have been used but not paid for, before providing the permanent supply.

JPS teams are engaged in disconnection activities across the island every day, as part of the ongoing fight against electricity theft. It is estimated that approximately 13 per cent of the electricity generated by JPS is stolen. For years, the company has been engaged in an uphill battle to address this problem, and has implemented a range of initiatives in this regard. Among the initiatives currently being implemented are: routine investigation of customer metres, account audits, and strike force operations to remove illegal lines in communities islandwide.