Utility customers were owed tens of millions of dollars in compensation last financial year, but much of that money never reached them.

That’s according to the Office of Utilities Regulation, OUR’s latest annual report, tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

It shows the National Water Commission, NWC, as the biggest offender in terms of outstanding sums.

Mahiri Stewart reports.

When a utility company fails to meet its guaranteed standards, such as restoring service on time or fixing a faulty meter, customers are entitled to compensation.

But the Office of Utilities Regulation, OUR’s 2025/26 annual report, shows that most of the compensation owed by the National Water Commission, NWC, went unpaid.

The NWC committed 14,817 breaches during the year.

Those breaches attracted potential compensation of about $73.8 million.

Only about $23.8-million was paid out. That’s 32 percent.

The OUR says that’s partly because required claim forms were not submitted.

The NWC was also granted force majeure relief from the standards because of Hurricane Melissa, from October 24 to December 31, 2025.

In March, the Commission asked for another six months of relief, starting January 1, 2026.

It should be noted that the NWC has applied for a 51 percent tariff rate increase from the OUR.

The OUR says that request is still under review.

The Jamaica Public Service Company, JPS, did better in paying compensation owed under its guaranteed standards.

JPS committed 56,529 breaches between April and December 2025.

It paid $112.35 million automatically.

That’s 89 percent of what was owed.

The remaining $13.2-million was not paid because JPS was also granted hurricane relief for October to December.

JPS has asked for that relief to run until April 30, 2026.

The OUR’s decision on that request is pending.

The report also notes that JPS did not submit its performance report for January to March 2026.

Private water and sewerage providers had the poorest record.

They paid just 6 percent of the roughly $157,000 they owed, less than $9,000 in total.

Most of the unpaid money related to faulty meters, where compensation should have been credited to customers’ accounts automatically.

Across all sectors, utilities paid out more than $157 million to customers during the year.

The OUR says it will keep pressing service providers to make the outstanding payments.