The island’s sole electricity company is expected to compensate consumers if they breach the Guaranteed Standards setup by the Independent Regulatory Commission (IRC).
The Dominica Electricity Services (DOMLEC) has been asked to implement 10 Guaranteed Standards, each of which carries a monetary compensation for failure to conform, according to the IRC’s Administrative Order.
DOMLEC has also been ordered to implement six Overall Standards. These two types of standards are part of IRC’s Quality of Service Standards (QSS) regime.
Executive Director of the IRC Lance McCarsky told a press briefing this week that DOMLEC’s failure to conform to any of the Guaranteed Standards will result in a compensation of $12 to residential customers and $33 for commercial and industrial customers.
“If a consumer applies for a new connection DOMLEC should give that new connection within five days. Now if DOMLEC fails to connect that consumer within five days, then DOMLEC has to pay the consumer. This is payment which will appear on the consumer’s bill. That payment will appear as compensatory payment for breach of Guaranteed Standards whatever it is. For each breach the consumer will be paid,” McCarsky explained at a press briefing this week
in the National Development Foundation of Dominica (NDFD) Conference Room.
The breach will result in an automatic payment. Therefore, DOMLEC will be aware of it and the payment will appear on the consumer’s bill as a credit, McCarsky stated. If DOMLEC fails to conform to the Administrative Order for new connections and change of metres, the company automatically has to compensate.
McCarsky noted that new electricity customers will also be able to claim monies from DOMLEC, if they do not receive their first bill within 45 days.
“The first time a customer is billed should be no more than 45 days. That is from the time the service starts to the first billing should be no more than 45 days. If 45 days pass and the customer does not get a bill then the customer should make a claim on DOMLEC…
“Apart from the Guaranteed Standards, DOMLEC has also been asked to introduce the Overall Standards. Those Overall Standards refer to community standards – standards that can really affect the community like street lighting, response to line faults and so on … DOMLEC has to abide by the standards and if they do not then these will impact how the Commission deals with DOMLEC’s rate application the next time,” he said.
Some of these standards were already implemented by DOMLEC on January 01, 2010. These are related to bill punctuality, estimated billing, reconnection of service after and investigation of complaints.
The standards for new connection will come on stream April 01, 2010.
“We gave DOMLEC sometime to put their house in order, so we’ve staggered the implementation time, as well as…staggered the time for reporting and for the payment of compensation. For example, new connection of supply
the implementation date is April 1st, but DOMLEC will not be paying compensation for not conforming to the standard until September. Those that kick in January 1st they will not pay compensation for those until April 1st,” McCarsky added.
The IRC has requested that DOMLEC submit quarterly reports on the Guaranteed Standards in April and the Overall Standards in January 2011.
The IRC Head pointed out that these standards were in place, but DOMLEC never paid anyone for failing to comply with the standards. He said DOMLEC has never had any entity “looking over their shoulders.”
“Now we’re looking over their shoulders they have to put their house in order. So we gave them some time to ensure that is properly done,” he reiterated.
The IRC is an independent authority established to ensure that consumers in Dominica receive the highest quality of electricity at fair and reasonable prices, while also maintaining the financial viability of the electric utilities and protecting the national environment.
It is responsible for setting rules and regulations for the electricity sector through a process of consultation with all stakeholders. It also provides a forum for customer appeals in their dealings with service providers and advises and supports government’s policy on the supply of electricity for national development.
WELL I HAVE A REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE WITH DOMLEC AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEIR
CUSTOMER RELATIONS STINKS TO THE HIGH HEAVENS. I HAVE LEFT VOICE MAIL MESSAGES,
THEY HAVE MY CELL NUMBER AND NO ONE HAS GOTTEN BACK TO ME IN MONTHS YES
MONTHS, ON TOP OF THAT ALTHOUGH THERE IS A QUERIE ON THE SYSTEM A CASHIER GAVE
ME A NASTY ATTITUDE UNTIL I DIPLOMATICALLY PUT HER IN HER PROPER PLACE, AND SHE
HUMBLY ADMITTED THAT YES THERE IS A QUERY ON THE SYSTEM FOR THE AMOUNT. IT MUST
START FROM THE TOP, MAYBE ONE PERSON HAS TOO MUCH WORK TO DO, BUT THIS IS
RIDICULEOUS.
Now only if the same can be done with DOWASCO. They yake water almost every tuesday in stockfarm, not to mention other days. They even have the nerve to bring it back at midnight AND THEN take it again before sunrise. Something needs to be done with DOWASCO indeed. Dubai has water everyday and its located in THE DESERT!!! Surely this is getting out of hand.
NOW THE WAY FORWARD/ATTRACTION FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS TO BE POSITIVE WITH THE DOMINICAN PROGRESS. THIS REGULATION WILL ALSO I HOPE REGULATE THE AVOIDANCE OF POWER OUTAGE.
REGULAR SUPPLY OF ELECTRICITY IS A MAJOR UTILITY SERVICE FOR ANY PRODUCTIVE INDUSTRY. NEXT STEP DOWESCO AND WE ARE ON OUR WAY.
Good move, but i think the role of the IRC should cover all utility companies…
I recommend a PRICE CONTROL AUTHORITY, to keep the retailers in check because the prices for the basic goods varies from retailer to retailer…
Praises Dominica moving to a next level .. accountability by DOMLEC. Customers and consumers must have rights. The people is suffering to long at the hands of the public and private sectors . we pay money for services and goods and receive poor value .
this is a positive step foward in our approach for transparency and accountability by service providers. I am pleased with the level of awareness that the IRC has caused consumers to now have. As the news cliping mentioned a few of these standards were in place but DOMLEC never complied a clear case of corporate corruption and abuse of the peoples ignorance. we may recall also the civil group consumers against … dont recall the name exactly played a significant role in pressuring a fearer deal from DOMLEC..this was a clear case of civil society organizing and seeking responses and better services from providers.
The call now is for the existence of a similar independent commission to have the services form DOWASCO improved. As civil society we need now to initiate some action and those we have assigned to administer the states business on our behalf will have to respond. Our calls to the talk shows DO NOT fall on death ears, they do hear us. Its time to move on DOWASCO and demand better services. we all can start by requesting and ensuring that our political representatives listen to our pleas.
HIghly affected areas by DOWASCO´s poor services need to organize themselves and make formal approaches to their representatives. Every single voice put together can make a loud noise.
There should never be former employees of Domlec on that IRC thing … This IRC should be for all utility companies and not just domlec since all of them …. up things. Electricity (energy) bill is the highest utility bill in every country that u go in the would.
Domlec should pull out this island is not business friendly at all.
We need to put measures in place for Dowasco as welll. Who watching over Dowasco? Dowasco takes water when they want, how they want, rain, no rain. Government need to put a IRC for Dowasco. We just wicked and unfair in the country. Disggruntled former Domlec workers that are in that IRC, terrorising Domlec. That is not fair.
Interesting new policy but I agree it’s only fair to have the same apply to all local monopolies!
This is not fair to Domlec. Dowasco leaves us without water for days. So why not Dowasco to be held accountable for breaches in customer service standards also? Why not a commission to investigate Dowasco for the length of time that they take their water (bad weather or no bad weather)? …. Carry out folks, time will tell.
SOME PPL DONT KNOW ANYTHING PPL ALWAYS BLAMING DOMLEC WHAT ABOUT DOWASCO NOW THAT ALWAZ TAKIN WATER , SENDIN BACK DIRTY WATER FOR PPL ,WHO WATCHING OVER THEM ??
WHEN DOWASCO TAKIN WATER FOR HOW MANY DAYS ASK FOR WHEN A LITTLE RAIN FALL U GETTIN UP TO NO WATER , DOMINICANS NEED TO LEARN WAT IT IS TO RUN A COMPANY LIKE DOMLEC AND THEN THEY WILL UNDERSTAND FOR NOW THEY NEED TO PUT SUMBODY TO WATCH DOWASCO TOO.
Now we’re talking
Who are these IRC people? You want people to register generator and now you want DOMLEC to pay up if they meet customer satisfaction?
about time.