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 Office is similar to a board of directors and meets regularly to make decisions on regulatory and administrative matters. The Office comprises six members appointed by the Governor General, Sir Patrick Allen. The appointment of an Office is a requirement of the Office of Utilities Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2015, which also provides for the Director General of the OUR to serve as an ex-officio member.
Our Role
The role of the OUR, as an independent Regulator, is often misunderstood, particularly by the largest stakeholder group – consumers. It is a general belief that if you are not for me then you are against me! However, the Regulator has an obligation to be objective and impartial. Our mandate is to provide an Avenue of Appeal for consumers who have grievances with the utility companies. Contrary to general belief, the OUR is NOT a consumer advocacy group. The OUR is ISO 9001:2015 certified and has also been recognized internationally for the pioneering role it has played in the regional development of independent utility regulation and the liberalization of the telecommunications sector.
See more details in Corporate Brochure – cover+inner pages 2023 Feb 7.