Between 10% and 15% of the Antigua Public Utilities Authority’s electricity meters are not working, forcing the utility company to issue estimated bills to affected customers.

Acting CEO Roger Tongue said APUA does not obtain an actual reading from every meter because some are out of service.

“There are instances where meters fall out of service; they’re not working, and we cannot read them,” Tongue said. “We have to estimate.”

He said estimated bills are calculated using the customer’s consumption before the meter stopped working.

“We look at your consumption before the meter stopped working, and we get an average of your consumption,” Tongue said.

APUA is conducting an ongoing meter replacement programme to identify and replace defective meters as quickly as possible.

Tongue said the authority aims to obtain actual readings from all active accounts but acknowledged that faulty meters remain an issue.

Customers who believe their estimated bills are too high are being encouraged to contact APUA’s customer care department.

“We will look at their consumption patterns and, if necessary, adjust the bills accordingly,” Tongue said. “There is recourse if you feel that your bills are estimated and they’re too high.”

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Up to 15% of APUA Electricity Meters Are Not Working.