The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FAMILIES For Justice president Rev Glenroy Bethel is raising concerns over an unauthorised meter removal and installation of a temporary meter at a Freeport residence by employees of the Grand Bahama Power Company, claiming that the workers had no order or written authorisation to do so. He further claimed that the homeowner has noticed that the temporary meter is reading much higher.

However, a Power Company official said the company is conducting meter audits and has informed customers about what they are doing. Philcher Grant-Farquharson, director of public relations, said it is a regulatory requirement for the company to conduct meter audits to ensure that the meters are properly functioning and are in “good and safe working condition”.

“We have been communicating over the last several months to our customers that we are in the process of conducting meter audits as per our regulatory requirement,” she said.

Rev Bethel said that last week a worker entered a homeowner’s property without a work order to remove and replace the meter with a temporary one.

“The resident told the meter man he cannot remove the meter without some written authorisation from the company,” Rev Bethel said. “The meter man contacted his superior and left the property. A week later, the meter man and an assistant director of security at the company came back to the property to remove the meter and the police were contacted. The homeowner wanted the police to witness that they were removing a meter without any authorisation. They took the meter and … they did not give him a definite time as to when the meter would be returned,” Rev Bethel claimed.

Ms Grant-Farquharson said that the employee identified himself and showed the necessary paperwork to the customer showing he was authorised to carry out the audit. “We followed all necessary protocol,” she said.

Ms Grant-Farquharson also said that the company works with its customers to ensure that they understand the billing cycle. “As this event took place last week, any registered usage on the temporary meter would not be reflected in the customer’s current bill. It will be reflected in the next billing cycle. We would be more than happy, should the customer have any questions or concerns about the bill, to address them at that time,” she said.

Rev Bethel claimed: “That meter has been in two or three days and they noticed the temporary meter is reading higher than the original meter that was in – it went up tremendously.” The civic leader said that the police cannot enter a person’s premises unless they have a warrant.

“How is it that a corporate (entity) can come on someone’s property to move a meter and replace it with a temporary one and not give a reason why?” he asked.

Kendra Crawford, of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens, said the company should inform customers before the meters are changed. “We are concerned whether they can come on people’s property and change our meters without any form of work order letting us know why they are changing it.”