Guyanese complain constantly about the Utility companies that supply services of Water, Electricity and Telephone. They cry out for over charging, bad service and disconnection. In business they say that the customer is always right. But are they?
GPL Disconnections
Lets take for instance GPL whose repetition is famous with BLACK OUT that the conductors on the Route 45 Mini-Bus say "Gimme Black Out Deh" whenever a passenger ask to stop at GPL.
Bills Pass Due - Everyone knows that GPL disconnect customers who owe bills after the due date. The company gives all customers a date by with time to pay their bills and failing that, they carry out routine disconnection exercises on all delinquent customers.
Broken Agreement - GPL also disconnect customers who would have signed agreements /contracts to pay specific amounts of money on a regular basis to clear a Debt that was accumulated by them but they were unable to clear all at once.
Bypass and Tampering - Field investigations by GPL's Loss reduction crews would from time to time visit customers to ensure that the company's equipment is in working order and in doing so would encounter customer who would have connected themselves without the proper documentation or permission of the company, or would have attempted to reduce the efficiency of the measuring device either by direct interference (Tampering) or diversion (Bypass).
Illegal Reconnection - Disconnected customers who are brave enough to reconnect their service themselves tend to suffer a different faith as they would most times by charged with an additional penalty (Illegal Reconnection Fee) and or have their service removed if they are very persistent.
System or Human Error - But like all systems, there is room for human error and customers do get disconnected because their payment was not processed in time or crew member disconnected the wrong line on the pole. In such incidents, the company evaluates the situation and takes the appropriate actions to have the incident addressed.
Inaccessibility to Read Meter - There are also other less know ways and reason why GPL would also move to disconnect a customer. Should GPL meter reader be prevented from reading your meter because of your actions (locked building or premises) consecutively for three (3) months, they have the right according to law to disconnect such service.
Safety - GPL would also disconnect a service if there is an imminent threat to the customer's building or surroundings as a result of fire or accident. GPL would disconnect a customer's service for safety reasons.
GT&T Disconnections
Lets face it, we all at some point in time feel like we should not pay our phone bill and that we can talk forever but unlike GPL, GT&T disconnection is systematic. You are warned by the telephone company that your service has been temporarily disconnected when you pick up the receiver.
GT&T as far as I can tell has the longest grace period. For the most part, bills are due just into the second week of each month. There after services are disconnected once balance is not cleared. Some customers happen to go on months owing for services rendered before the system eventually disconnects the service but this usually happens to DSL customers.
GWI Disconnections
The Guyana Water Incorporated does disconnections for all accounts that are in arrears. Customers who fail to pay their accounts and or have not entered into a settlement arrangement with the Authority will have their service disconnected.
Time to time GWI employees will engage in field audits to verify the legitimacy of all connections in an area and those who's connections have no account with the authority, will be disconnected.
