PUC flags GPL for falling short on 2025 targets

– calls for stronger infrastructure maintenance

The Public Utility Commission (PUC) has expressed dissatisfaction with Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) overall performance for 2025 and urged the company to strengthen infrastructure maintenance and operational efficiency for reliable and quality service to consumers.

This determination follows a public hearing that was held on March 27, 2026, where GPL presented its performance against the established targets and standards, and stakeholders were afforded the opportunity to participate.
In light of this finding, the PUC has informed electricity consumers and other interested parties that it has issued an order. The Commission noted that only 2.5 of the eight targets were achieved.
While there were areas of success, including improvements in generation availability, voltage regulation on selected feeders, and partial achievement in the issuance of bills to non-maximum demand customers, the deficiencies in reliability and financial performance remain a significant concern.
In fact, in 2025, GPL had established a target of 85 customer interruptions, but this was exceeded by one at the end of the reporting year. Compromised transmission pole structures due to soil erosion, feeder trips, internal faults, generating power shutdowns, vehicular accidents, and external interferences from contractors’ equipment were cited as causes for the service interruptions.
In addition, in 2025, GPL was required to maintain a target of 80 hours, but at the end of the year, consumers faced 84 hours of power failure. Again, GPL blamed the factors as listed above for the long hours of blackouts.
On this note, GPL indicated that it would address the issues and improve system reliability by implementing several corrective measures in 2026, including the integration of advanced technologies such as drones and smart monitoring systems to enhance detection capabilities.
Further, GPL stated that it intends to intensify its maintenance programmes, deploy alternative pole structures such as fibreglass, metal, and concrete, and continue coordination protection across the network to incorporate greater redundancy within the system.
However, with respect to meter reading, the PUC finds that the company fell short of meter reading for the year 2025. The company reported that it achieved 93 per cent for MD customers – a drop of four per cent from the target. For non-MD customers, the target for 2025 was set at 95 per cent, but at the end of the year, the company only managed to reach 85 per cent of those customers.
The company added that it had replaced 12,000 meters with AMI-compatible meters, thus enabling remote reading. For 2026, GPL plans to install another 20,000 AMI-compatible meters.
GPL was also flagged for not issuing customers their respective electricity bills within the stipulated seven-day period. In its explanation for the non-compliance, GPL stated that it had conducted meter re-reads, which extended beyond the billing cycle by a number of days, but added that it had developed a better system to improve its timeframe.
Meanwhile, in outlining their approaches for 2026, GPL advocated improvements in key areas, including the integration of advanced technologies, skilled labour optimisation, and cash flow and time management.
While GPL did not fully meet its obligations, the Commission acknowledged some improvement in customer experience and considered mitigating factors, including labour shortages and ongoing infrastructure projects. As such, regulatory leniency was applied.
The Commission expects that, with the completion of ongoing projects, GPL will achieve full compliance with its performance targets in 2026 and beyond.