During 2012, JPS crews removed 98,000 illegal lines from the Company’s infrastructure.  JPS also targeted four more Corporate Area inner city communities for the installation of the Residential Advanced Meter Infrastructure (RAMI) programme, in addition to having 62 persons arrested and charged for the illegal abstraction of electricity, or for trespassing on the works of JPS.

The removal of illegal lines or ‘throw-ups’ has and continues to be a vexing issue, as many of these wires are replaced once the crews have exited the area.  Notwithstanding, these anti-theft efforts continue, in addition to routine loss reduction activities, involving residential and commercial customers.  But despite these efforts, the Company still ended the year, with a 15% loss of electricity generated to theft.

JPS is spending on average US$30 Million each year to fight losses. This includes the cost of:

•    Installing the anti-theft infrastructure (RAMI) system
•    conducting account audits
•    carrying out meter investigations
•    removing illegal lines
•    and carrying out community intervention and public education programmes.

While the Company is taking a comprehensive multi-faceted approach in its ongoing effort to deal with the problem of theft, it also recognizes that this phenomenon is part of a wider socio-economic problem outside of the utility’s control.  JPS is therefore looking forward to working even closer with all stakeholders in 2013, to effect a reduction in this problem which affects all Jamaicans.