What is the role of the O.U.R.?

When I was a young child, I remember going to my mother to settle any disputes I had with my older siblings.  I felt that her job was to listen to both sides and be able to find a solution that would please us both.

Of course that rarely happened, so no matter how unbiased her decison seemed, I was never really happy if the outcome was not in my favour.

Consumers have to rely on a similar regulatory body that helps to ensure that both customers and utility companies are given a fair hearing.

Role of the O.U.R.

Such a regulator has an obligation to be objective and impartial and this is the role of the Office of Utilities Regulation.(O.U.R)

Their mandate is to provide an avenue of Appeal for consumers who have grievances with the utility companies.

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) was established by an Act of Parliament in 1995 to regulate the operations of utility companies. Operations began in January 1997.

The objectives of the OUR are to:

establish and maintain transparent, consistent and objective rules for the regulation of utility service providers,

promote the long term, efficient provision of utility services for national development consistent with Government policy,

provide an avenue of appeal for consumers in their relationship with the utility service providers,

work with other related agencies in the promotion of a sustainable environment,

act independently and impartially.

The Consumer’s role

The primary role of the consumer in utility regulation is to provide a collective voice on issues related to utilities in order to receive greater attention from regulators, legislators and the utility companies.

Recognizing the importance of consumers in regulating utilities, the OUR established the Consumer Advisory Committee on Utilities (CACU) in January 2000. This group is an independent group of consumers, drawn from the public and private sectors.

Just as I knew I could trust that my mother’s decisions were fair even if they did not always work out in my favour, so too consumers must appreciate that the O.U.R. is able to ensure that protocols are adhered to by all our utility companies.

What’s your take?Let me hear from you!

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: utilities