Energy Minister Daryl Vaz has outlined a $372-million support package to help hurricane-damaged households safely reconnect to the electricity grid, with funds redirected from the National Energy Poverty Reduction Programme. Speaking in St Elizabeth, Vaz said the initiative would cover minor building repairs for 800 homes, house wiring for 600 households, and electrical certification and social support for a further 1,400 families, beginning in the hardest-hit parishes. 

Govt to repair, rewire 800 storm-ravaged homes, says Vaz

Jamaica Gleaner/30 Dec 2025/Albeert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com

ENERGY MINISTER Daryl Vaz says the Government has diverted $372 million from its National Energy Poverty Reduction Programme to support households severely affected by Hurricane Melissa, starting with St Elizabeth and extending to other impacted parishes.

Vaz made the announcement while speaking at the official launch of the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) Emergency Mobile Power Generation Unit in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth, last Wednesday.

He explained that the reallocation is aimed at ensuring that affected households can be safely reconnected to the national electricity grid as communities begin the process of recovery.

“We will be doing minor repairs of homes to ensure households can be certified for electricity house wiring where required. We are going to do 800 houses,” he said.

Vaz outlined a detailed breakdown of the support package, noting that the programme will include house wiring assistance for 600 households, full Government Electrical Regulator (GER) certification for 1,400 households, and the provision of select social services to another 1,400 households, to be identified through upcoming electrification fairs.

“The breakdown of this is, $300,000 for minor building repairs to facilitate certification of electrification; that’s $240 million,” he said. “House wiring – 600 at $150,000. That’s $90 million; and the GER certificate, which is $30,000, will come up to $42 million.”

Vaz stressed that safety is at the heart of the intervention.

“It doesn’t make sense if you repair your house and put on your roof, and the water has done damage to your wiring in your house. You won’t have any benefit, because when you turn on the light, you might have a fire, which might be worse than Melissa,” he said.

Regarding the decision to divert funds from the existing programme, Vaz says it reflects responsible governance.

Hurricane Melissa battered Jamaican, mainly the southwestern parishes, in late October.

The National Energy Poverty Reduction Programme, launched last year, was originally designed to assist vulnerable households with access to safe and legal electricity through wiring support, certification, and targeted social interventions. Vaz said the programme remains intact, but has been strategically adjusted to respond to the urgent posthurricane needs of affected communities.

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