JPS ответила регулятору на рекомендации по доступности услуг после закрытия десяти офисов

JPS responds to OUR’s customer access recommendations following office closures KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) says it has put in place further measures to address customer access to its services, following the closure of 10 of its 15 offices across the island. This follows recommendations issued by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) to JPS based on the results of its Phase II Impact Assessment Study into the effects of JPS’s Customer Service Office closures on customers across most parishes. JPS submitted its detailed response to the OUR’s recommendations on July 16, 2026. Among OUR’s recommendations were for JPS to review the spatial distribution of customer touch points, develop customer service solutions that satisfy face-to-face customer service requests, including new service applications, complaint reporting, bill queries, reconnections and disconnections and leverage bill payment agencies as customer touch points and make the MyJPS mobile app zero-rated. “Regarding the review of the spatial distribution of customer access points, JPS has advised that it has deferred the immediate establishment of additional permanent customer hubs in St Thomas and St Elizabeth, which had previously been under consideration,” the OUR said in a statement. “Instead, it has introduced a Community Connect Pop-Up Programme to provide face-to-face customer engagement and support in underserved communities. According to the company, the programme will run from 2026 July to 2026 December, providing assistance with account queries, billing matters, service applications, reconnections, outage-related concerns and digital onboarding support.” The OUR said JPS has advised that the Community Connect Pop-Up events will be undertaken bi-monthly in St Thomas, Clarendon and Westmoreland, which started in 2026 July, and in Hanover, St Mary, Portland, and Trelawny, which commenced in 2026 August. Monthly pop-up events are expected to begin in St Elizabeth in 2026 September. JPS indicated that the initiative will allow it to expand customer access across a wider geographic area while evaluating future requirements for permanent facilities. With respect to customers’ continued access to services previously offered through customer service offices, the OUR said JPS reported that it has expanded customer access through several service channels, including the MyJPS Mobile App, the Portmore MyJPS Care Hub, voice support services, live chat, chatbot services and other digital self-service options. The company also advised that customer transactions previously available through customer service offices, except for cash bill payments, can now be accessed through the MyJPS Mobile App, the Portmore MyJPS Care Hub and Community Connect Pop-Up engagements. Bill payment services remain available through the company’s network of bill payment agencies and digital channels. JPS further reported that it has strengthened its customer access network through an expanded bill-payment agency system, including the addition of the Supreme Ventures payment network, which provides coverage and accessibility across all fourteen parishes. Regarding the zero-rating of the MyJPS Mobile App, JPS has indicated that the matter remains under assessment. The company stated that it is evaluating the technical, operational, commercial and financial implications of implementation and has committed to providing the OUR with a definitive update by 2026 October 12. The OUR said it will continue to monitor the implementation of the measures outlined by JPS and assess their effectiveness in addressing the customer accessibility concerns identified in the Phase II Impact Assessment. The regulator will also review the outcomes of matters that remain under consideration. The OUR conducted a two-phase assessment of the impact of JPS’ customer service office closures following the company’s decision to close ten of its fifteen customer service offices islandwide. The Phase II Impact Assessment Study employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods to evaluate the impact of the closures, the effectiveness of alternative customer service channels, customer satisfaction with those channels and potential options for improving customer access to JPS services.