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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">DIGICEL, JPS in Twitter war over electricity costs</span>
<span style="font-style: italic">By PAUL ALLEN Business reporter [email protected]
Monday, March 19, 2012</span>
THE ongoing debate about the rising cost of electricity has gone viral.
Yesterday, a full-page advertisement was taken out in the Sunday Observer, which asked people to join a Facebook initiative called Fight For Your Light, which gives Jamaicans a forum to express their frustration against high electricity bills and to mobilise support to break the monopoly on the distribution of electricity.
Today, the fight was taken further when telecommunications giant Digicel tweeted, “According to a recent article published by the Jamaica Public Service company (JPSCo) in the Gleaner, residential rates have gone up by over 135 per cent since 2001and commercial electricity rates have increased from US$15.30 ($1,318) in 2001 to US$35.90 in 2011.”
Digicel then asked its followers to “join the movement and fight for your light”, adding a link to the initiative’s Facebook page.
However, JPSCo hit back, replying to Digicel, “True, however, US$26.60 of that amount is for fuel, which is bought from the state refinery.”
The electricity provider continued, “Fuel costs have gone up by 500 per cent in the last 10 years. The only way to bring down costs is through fuel diversification.”
JPSCo then told its followers, and many other Twitter account holders who awaited the replies, “Electricity rates are high because of the cost of oil.”
“How can electricity costs be reduced?” JPSCo asked, before adding, “Fuel diversification. Cut the dependence on oil.”
Digicel’s account did not respond to any of JPSCo’s statements.
<span style="font-style: italic">By PAUL ALLEN Business reporter [email protected]
Monday, March 19, 2012</span>
THE ongoing debate about the rising cost of electricity has gone viral.
Yesterday, a full-page advertisement was taken out in the Sunday Observer, which asked people to join a Facebook initiative called Fight For Your Light, which gives Jamaicans a forum to express their frustration against high electricity bills and to mobilise support to break the monopoly on the distribution of electricity.
Today, the fight was taken further when telecommunications giant Digicel tweeted, “According to a recent article published by the Jamaica Public Service company (JPSCo) in the Gleaner, residential rates have gone up by over 135 per cent since 2001and commercial electricity rates have increased from US$15.30 ($1,318) in 2001 to US$35.90 in 2011.”
Digicel then asked its followers to “join the movement and fight for your light”, adding a link to the initiative’s Facebook page.
However, JPSCo hit back, replying to Digicel, “True, however, US$26.60 of that amount is for fuel, which is bought from the state refinery.”
The electricity provider continued, “Fuel costs have gone up by 500 per cent in the last 10 years. The only way to bring down costs is through fuel diversification.”
JPSCo then told its followers, and many other Twitter account holders who awaited the replies, “Electricity rates are high because of the cost of oil.”
“How can electricity costs be reduced?” JPSCo asked, before adding, “Fuel diversification. Cut the dependence on oil.”
Digicel’s account did not respond to any of JPSCo’s statements.
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