The Fair Trading Commission Act, Cap. 326B of the Laws of Barbados

• Jurisdiction: Barbados
• Court: Fair Trading Commission (Barbados)
• Judge: Tammy Bryan,Donley Carrington,Roger Barrow,Jermaine Beckford
• Judgment Date: 12 December 2022
• Docket Number: NO. FTCUR/DECSOS/BWA-2022-10

In the Matter of the Fair Trading Commission Act, Cap. 326B of the Laws of Barbados;

And in the Matter of the Utilities Regulation Act, Cap. 282 of the Laws of Barbados;

And in the Matter of the Utilities Regulation (Procedural) Rules, 2003 and the Utilities Regulation (Procedural) (Amendment) Rules, 2009;

And in the Matter of the Review of the Standards of Service for the Barbados Water Authority pursuant to Section 3(1)(d) of the Utilities Regulation Act, CAP. 282 of the Laws of Barbados.

Before:

Tammy Bryan Chairman

Donley Carrington Commissioner

Roger Barrow Commissioner

Jermaine Beckford Commissioner

NO. FTCUR/DECSOS/BWA-2022-10

FAIR TRADING COMMISSION

ORDER

ORDER

1 This Order is made pursuant to Section 38(c)(ii) of the Utilities Regulations Act CAP. 282 of the Laws of Barbados (the “URA”);

2 WHEREAS in recognition of the issues that have been considered and determined throughout the Fair Trading Commission's (the “Commission”) review of the Standards of Service for the Barbados Water Authority (the “BWA”);

3 AND UPON READING AND CONSIDERING the respective written submissions of the BWA and AnchorBridge Environmental Inc., an interested party, in response to the Commission's public consultation (by way of a Consultation Paper for the Determination and Applicability of the Standards of Service for the BWA, dated May 20, 2021);

4 AND UPON READING AND CONSIDERING the respective written submissions and evidence of the BWA and Mrs. Judith Ann Aycock-Harding, intervenor, submitted during the Commission's public written hearing which commenced on June 6, 2022, and the Commission's own research.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:-

• 1. The BWA shall comply with the prescribed Standards of Service set out at Tables 1 and 2 of the attached Schedule subject to the exemptions set out in the Standards of Service Decision dated the 9 ^th day of December, 2022 (the “Decision”);

• 2. The BWA shall pay the prescribed amounts set out at Table 1 of the attached Schedule to any person who is affected by its failure to provide the utility service in accordance with the prescribed Standards of Service and in the manner set out in the Decision;

• 3. The Decision, and consequently, this Order, shall take effect on the 1 ^st day of January 2023;

• 4. The Standards of Service set out in the Decision shall remain in effect for a period of three (3) years from the date of their implementation; and

• 5. The Commission shall be at liberty to extend the validity of the Standards of Service set out in the Decision for a further period of no more than two (2) years.

Dated this 12th day of December 2022

Original Signed By ………………………………… Tammy Bryan Chairman
Original Signed By ………………………………… Roger Barrow Commissioner	Original Signed By ………………………………… Jermaine Beckford Commissioner
Original Signed By ………………………………… Donley Carrington Commissioner

5 Table 1 — Guaranteed Standards of Service for BWA

STANDARD	SERVICE CATEGORY	TARGET	COMPENSATION
GWS 1 (Amended)	Installation of Service 1a. This refers to the time it should take between application, payment for service, and the installation for a standard connection in a Zone other than a Zone 1 (Zone A or Zone B 1) area. ( After submission of an accurately completed application and the customer is in close proximity to the BWA's infrastructure) 1b. This refers to the time taken to complete an investigation on receipt of an application for service, in a Zone 1 (Zone A or Zone B) area. ( After submission of an accurately completed application is in close proximity to the BWA's infrastructure 2) 1c. Installation time after the completion of the investigation and approval in Zone 1 ( Zone A or Zone B) area. (Zones are as defined by the BWA)	Residential (R) 3 — Ten (10) working days Commercial (C) 4 — Eight (8) working days Residential (R) — Ten (10) working days Residential (R) — Ten (10) working days	Refund of the standard domestic thirty (30) day minimum charge. (R) Refund equivalent to double the standard domestic thirty (30) day minimum charge. (C)
GWS 2	Issuance of First Bill
	This refers to the time elapsing between the installation of water service and the issuance of the first water bill.	No more than twenty (20) working days after installation of service.	$15 (R) $30 (C)
	( Interim bill to be issued if a bill with a reading cannot be generated)
GWS 3 Amended	Response to Complaints This refers to the timeframe in which the BWA must acknowledge a customer's complaint about billing or other Standards of Service issues.	Acknowledgement provided within five (5) working days of receipt of written or emailed complaint. ( Complaints made via telephone or walk-in will be deemed to have been acknowledged at the time the complaint was made.)	$15 (R) $30 (C)
		Investigation of complaint and findings provided within fifteen (15) working days of receipt of complaint. ( Inclusive of acknowledgement time)	$15 (R) $30 (C)
GWS 4	Wrongful Disconnections This refers to the loss of service where the customer has been disconnected in error.	Reconnected within ten (10) hours after notification of the error.	$50 (R) $100 (C)
	(This does not apply where bills have been correctly stamped “due for disconnection”)
GWS 5 Amended	Meter Installation or Meter Repositioning (Existing Service)
	5a) This refers to the time frame in which the BWA will install a meter on the customer's request. (Customer with a fixed rate requesting meter) 5b) This refers to the time it takes between the customer's request for, and the actual repositioning of the meter.	Meter to be installed within thirty (30) working days of receipt of request. Meter to be relocated within fifteen (15) working days of receipt of request and payment of deposit where applicable (Assuming the request is feasible)	$15 (R) $30 (C) $15 (R) $30 (C)
GWS 6	Repair/Replacement of Faulty Meter This refers to the time taken, after the report of a fault, for the BWA to assess and repair/replace a faulty meter, where applicable.	Assess and determine operational status of meter and report findings to the customer within ten (10) working days.	$15 (R) $30 (C)
		Replace/repair faulty meter within twenty (20) working days of confirmation of defect.	$15 (R) $30 (C)
GWS 7	Reconnection After Payment of Overdue Amount and Reconnection Fee This refers to the timely reconnection of a customer's service after satisfactory settlement of overdue amounts and reconnection fee at the BWA's offices.	Maximum of twenty-four (24) hours to restore supply	$15 (R) $30 (C)
GWS 8 NEW	Application for Reconnection of service previously disconnected from the main This refers to the timely reconnection of a customer's service that was disconnected from the main, after satisfactory payment of applicable fees at the BWA's offices.	Residential (R) — Seven (7) working days Commercial (C) — Five (5) working days	$15 (R) $30 (C)
GWS 9 (Previously GWS 8)	Scheduling of Field Appointments This refers to appointments scheduled by BWA representatives. Where the BWA is unable to keep an appointment with a customer, the BWA will contact the customer at least twenty-four (24) hours before the scheduled appointment to cancel and notify of a new date. ( Monday to Friday) The customer should be given a work order number as confirmation of scheduled appointment.	All scheduled appointments should be honoured and are to be scheduled between the hours of...