Services

The core business of the Ministry of Public Utilities involves:

• Procurement and distribution of electricity
• Electrical inspection and certification
• Postal services
• Telecommunications services
• Waste management services.

A. T&TEC’s - (Contact us-Routine service)

A. ttconnect - (Public Utilities Complaint)

A. Under the Regulated Industries Commission Act No. 26 of 1998, Section 6 (1), the RIC is empowered to do, among other things, the following:

• Carry out studies of efficiency and economy of operation and of performance by service providers and to publish those results
• Monitor service providers and conduct checks to determine their compliance with approved standards
• Impose sanctions for non-compliance with approved standards
• Establish the principles and methodologies by which service providers determine rates for services
• Carry out periodic reviews of the rating regimes of service providers
• Investigate complaints by consumers of the failure to obtain redress from service providers in respect of rates, billing, and unsatisfactory service and facilitate relief where necessary.

A. ttconnect - (Inspection and certification of electrical installation)

A. ttconnect - (New Electrical Wiring Colour Code)

A.     The Government Electrical Inspectorate ensures that all wiring and electrical installations are certified as safe to the consumer. Individuals carrying out any form of electrical work at their premises, including installation, upgrades or repairs are required to have this work inspected and certified by the Electrical Inspectorate.

      There are two (2) implications for not having the wiring of your house inspected:

1. You will not be able to get a connection to T&TEC’s power supply, and
2. You may not be able to get fire insurance for your home.

A. T&TEC’s - (Contact us-Routine service)

A. T&TEC’s - (Contact us-Routine service)

A. T&TEC will be responsible for damages that result from their negligence. If appliances or equipment are damaged because T&TEC did something unreasonable, or because the company failed to do something which should be been done, then T&TEC has the obligation to pay for reasonable  damages.

T&TEC will not be responsible for damages that the company did not cause, or that are the result of forces beyond the company’s control, e.g. :

• Damages resulting from voltage fluctuations caused by earthquakes, storm related conditions (lightning, floods, extreme winds) and other acts of God, tampering or vandalism, civil or international unrest, animal contact, equipment failure, scheduled outages or normal operating procedures.
• Damages caused by the performance of the internal wiring of your premises.
• Damages  caused by other parties e.g. vehicles colliding with or coming into contact with the Commission’s infrastructure such as poles, lines etc.

A.  1. Report the damage promptly to your nearest T&TEC Customer Service Centre or Distribution Area.

2. Following a visit by T&TEC’s Consumer Investigator, complete the Claim Form and submit along with copies of documents in support of your claim e.g. repair bills, estimate of repair, invoices, technician’s report, to the relevant Distribution Area Office.

3. You should state accurately, the date and time that the incident occurred and the circumstances surrounding the incident.  Indicate also whether any trouble calls were made to T&TEC with respect to the incident.

4. If the item cannot be repaired then you are to submit a technician’s report showing the nature of the damages, the components and their cost. Do not discard the damaged item until T&TEC notifies you in writing.

5. T&TEC will investigate your claim and make a determination within 30 days unless there are complications requiring additional time.

A. In 2004, T&TEC and the RIC had agreed to six (6) Guaranteed Electricity Standards (GES)  and nine (9) Overall Electricity Standards (OES)by which T&TEC will operate. These are presently in operation, and new standards are currently being developed. The six (6) Guaranteed Electricity Standards relate to service levels which T&TEC must meet, failing which, the affected customer becomes eligible for compensation. The GES relate to the following electricity services:

• Response and restoration time after unplanned (forced) outages on the distribution system
• Billing punctuality for new customers
• Reconnection after payment of overdue amounts or agreement on payment schedule
• Making and keeping appointments
• Compensatory payments
• New connections.

The nine (9) Overall Electricity Standards (OES) are the measures by which the RIC monitors the performance of T&TEC, and this is done through a system of reports. These OES relate to the following electricity services:

1. Line faults being repaired within a specified period of the fault being reported
2. Billing punctuality
3. Frequency of meter testing
4. Frequency of meter reading
5. System revenue losses (difference between energy purchased and energy for which revenue is derived)
6. Response time to customer queries/requests (written)
7. Number of complaints to the company by type
8. Prior notice of planned outages (supply interruptions)
9. Correction of low/high voltage complaints.

For details on these standards go to www.ric.org.tt