LUMA Misses Deadline; Energy Czar Gives It 48 Hours to Explain Bill Spikes Tied to Smart Meters

LUMA Energy let a government deadline lapse for explaining why some electric bills have jumped by thousands of dollars from one period to the next, and Energy Czar Josué Colón gave it 48 more hours to hand over at least preliminary findings ¹. The standoff comes as the House and Senate prepare their own inquiries into the smart meters the company is installing across the island ²⁴.

Background: from the October 24 letter to the missed deadline

On October 24, Colón, executive director of the Public-Private Partnerships Authority (AAPP), wrote to LUMA president Janisse Quiñones demanding a written report within five calendar days ¹². The AAPP said it had received an unusual rise in complaints from residential, commercial and other customers. Some say their bills climbed by thousands of dollars from one period to the next without a matching rise in consumption ². The complaints surfaced after the latest quarterly reconciliation, while LUMA keeps installing smart meters ².

The letter is careful on one point: the AAPP says the mere existence of complaints does not by itself establish a billing error or equipment fault. But it also holds that the quarterly reconciliation alone does not explain extraordinary changes in recorded consumption, and that the nature, magnitude and reported frequency of the complaints warrant an immediate and comprehensive investigation ².

LUMA replied at the time that its billing systems are reliable and that it had identified no irregularities in its processes ². On November 3, however, the company missed the deadline, and Colón gave it the extra 48 hours ¹.

The facts: what LUMA must investigate and what is moving in the Legislature

• Scope. LUMA must determine whether the installation, replacement, programming, configuration, activation or integration of smart meters into its billing systems contributed to the increases. It must also review reading accuracy, correct meter-to-account matching, data migration, and adjustments between estimated and actual readings ².
• Report contents. A breakdown by customer class with the number of complaints, accounts reviewed and confirmed errors; causes, economic impact and corrections, including credits or adjustments; interim measures so no one is harmed by possibly erroneous charges; and certification by an authorized LUMA officer. It must go to the AAPP and the Energy Bureau simultaneously ².
• House of Representatives. Government Committee chair Víctor Parés Otero said complaints are coming in from all over Puerto Rico and that he will summon LUMA to a public hearing in the second week of November ⁴.
• Senate. President Thomas Rivera Schatz filed information request 2026-0151. If approved by the full chamber, LUMA would have 10 days to deliver certifications, calibrations, accuracy tests and a log of reading errors and failures since the program began ³.
• Scale of the project. LUMA plans to replace about 1.5 million meters with advanced metering infrastructure, funded by FEMA. As of September it had installed more than 200,000, with a target of 500,000 by year's end ³.

What LUMA says about the meters

The company says the devices transmit consumption automatically throughout the day, detect outages faster and reduce estimated bills. They are bidirectional: they measure what the customer draws from the grid and what rooftop solar sends back ³. LUMA says about 30% of current meters are more than 20 years old ³. It says most customers will see the same consumption on their bill, but admits changes are possible if they previously received estimated bills or if the old meter was damaged, corroded or malfunctioning ³.

Installation is free, though customers must pay to repair their own electrical equipment, such as the meter base, before the swap. The swap causes a brief service interruption ³.

What it means for you

If a new meter has been installed at your home or business, your bill is the first test. A sharp jump may be an error, but it may also mean you were previously paying estimated readings below your real usage, or that the old device was under-measuring ³. Documenting is valuable either way: it lets you dispute with evidence, or rule out an error with peace of mind.

Customers with solar panels deserve particular attention, because the new meter measures in both directions ³. Until there is an official finding, no one should assume the company erred, or that it is right.

How to / Checklist

1. Gather your latest bills and compare kilowatt-hours (kWh) used between the prior and current periods, not just the dollar total.
2. Note the date your meter was swapped and photograph the new device, with its serial number and reading.
3. Check whether earlier bills said "estimated"; that gap may explain part of the jump ³.
4. File a written complaint with LUMA (lumapr.com) and keep the case number.
5. If it is not resolved, file a complaint with the Energy Bureau (energia.pr.gov).
6. Ask LUMA for an accuracy test of your meter and, if you have solar, verify the exported-energy reading.
7. Send your case to the House Government Committee before the hearing.

What's next

LUMA is expected to deliver preliminary findings to the AAPP within hours ¹. The House would hold its public hearing in the second week of November ⁴, and the Senate request depends on approval by the full chamber ³. The complete report, with affected accounts and a corrective plan, will determine whether customers get credits or adjustments ².

Sources

1. El Nuevo Día, "LUMA Energy no responde a requerimiento sobre supuesta facturación excesiva por nuevos contadores," November 3, 2026.
2. Metro Puerto Rico, "Investigan contadores inteligentes de LUMA por alzas en factura de luz," October 27, 2026.
3. Metro Puerto Rico, "Qué sabemos de los contadores inteligentes de LUMA que investigan por alzas en la factura?", November 2, 2026.
4. El Nuevo Día, "Que nos expliquen: comisión cameral indagará supuestos registros excesivos de consumo de luz en contadores inteligentes," October 30, 2026.