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Residents of Jones Town in Kingston are urging the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) to create a structure that allows them to pay a flat rate for electricity.

The call followed the disconnection of 1,220 illegal connections in the community last month. According to the JPS, the electricity theft rate in Jones Town is "well over 90 per cent".

Jones Town residents told THE STAR that they have resorted to stealing electricity because they cannot afford it. They said that they are prepared to pay up to $5,000 for electricity bills monthly.

"If JPS can do sumu like Flow it would be better. Flow can consistently collect a bill from a man in this community because it's a flat rate," one resident said. "A man can decide seh yeah, me can afford $3,000 every single month. Just imagine how much money JPS can make if dem collect $5,000 from each house every month."

ELECTRICITY THEFT

The JPS has estimated that 200,000 households across the island are involved in electricity theft.

An elderly Jones Town resident told THE STAR that they are not solely to be blamed for their actions of stealing the electricity. They believe that the JPS should try to understand the culture of the community and work with them for a better outcome.

"JPS must meet the people half way to understand how these people survive, people are not able to pay how JPS a bill dem, she said. "People die out leave them place and others come and capture it, not knowing anything about the bills, which did already high. Dem cyah pay that, suh some payment-plan business would have to gwan," the resident said.

Residents say that the disconnection of their electricity puts them at risk for criminality.

"The criminal them love the darkness, them strive in a it. When light gone, is an opportunity that fi dem go bruk people house and all sort a ting. Everything comes a cost, so a just JPS now fi look into themselves and work out a thing," the concerned man said.

PROPER WIRING

Another resident said that the JPS should not expect to collect money for electricity when many of the houses in Jones Town are not properly wired for electricity.

"JPS is to be blamed, too," he said. "Dem come and install some iron pole pon the house them fi run the light properly and all now dem nuh come back. Only ting we a hear is that we house dem too old."

"Yeah, we poor, but, we willing pay, if it is even fi do a payment plan, so dem nuffi make it look like a we alone a di problem," she added.

The JPS, in 2014, launched a $30-million project to regularise electricity in seven inner-city communities in Kingston and St Andrew. Dubbed Project Step Up, the initiative involved the re-wiring of homes which would then be connected to JPS's main supply. Residents were also provided with budget billing and pre-paid metering options, as well as energy-efficient light bulbs and refrigerator gaskets to help with their conservation efforts.

Audrey Williams, media and public relations manager at the JPS, said that the utility company was involved in a house-wiring project in Arnett Grdens from which some Jones Town residents benefited.

"We also tried the flat-rate payment before in a number of communities and it failed miserably. People, after a while, simply stopped paying," she said.

"The JPS is, however, presently advocating for a social tariff, via a subsidy through the PATH programme, to assist persons who face genuine economic challenges to access safe electrical supply. This is under review by the Government and the Office of Utilities Regulation, OUR," she said.

REGULARISATION PROCESS

Meanwhile, Mark Golding, in whose South St Andrew constituency Jones Town falls, said he is aware that a process was started to regularise electricity in the community, but it was never completed.

"It seems that the programme which existed then, where JSIF would work with JPS collaboratively to assist the residents with properly wiring their property ended," he said. "To regularise a property its like $50,000 or $60,000, and for many of the residents in the less affluent areas, its beyond their means," Golding said.

"After the recent activity of JPS in Jones Town, I reach out to JPS to request a community meeting to discuss the matter of regularisation. I'm hoping the Ministry of Energy will get on board to possibly help the residents," he said.