In response to concerns raised by Freeport residents who are electricity consumers of The Grand Bahama Power Company Limited (GBPC), GBPA commissioned ITRON Inc. to carry out testing on electricity meters which were randomly selected throughout Freeport and outlying settlements.

"No meters were found to be functioning in a way that would suggest ‘overbilling'," stated Mr. Arthur Jones, Vice President of Building and Development Services for GBPA.

ITRON Inc. randomly tested 115 residential and commercial customers. Three (3) meters failed the ANSI limits. (The limits of the American National Standard Institute determine the acceptable efficiency within which meters should operate. ANSI C12.1 - 2008, 5.1.2).

"These 3 meters failed ‘slow' - meaning they would have been recording less energy consumed than what was actually used," added Jones. "It was also observed that each of these 3 meters had their seals broken, suggesting illegal tampering."

The team of observers, who witnessed the testing procedure and compiled a report, was comprised of an electronics engineer, two electrical engineers, a Freeport businessman, and representatives from GBPA, Freeport City Council, and the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce.

According to Jones, after the observers confirmed no malfunctioning electrical meters, their attention shifted elsewhere. The group recommended that a regulatory committee be put in place to monitor the billing process by GBPC

"The exercise in this meter testing led the team of observers to suggest that a neutral party should be retained to verify that the recorded consumption of electrical energy matches the billing as determined by GBPC," Jones explained.

According to a statement released to GBPA following the results of the random meter testing, the Power Company advised that they have already engaged in a one year process to:

"Stabilize the metering system currently in place with industrial, commercial and residential customers, ensuring that meters are accurate, sealed, correctly wired and safe;

Ensure that GBPC's systems are correctly billing customers for the amount of power that they use, and;

Ensure that appropriate ‘metering-to-billing' procedures are in place to keep the process accurate going forward."

GBPA awaits the results of this project, which according to the Power Company, is due to be completed by late April 2010.

"In the interim, GBPA supports the recommendation for the formation of a standing group of observers to monitor GBPC's procedures between metering and billing," Jones stated.