THE Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) has not been having an easy time since it took over the operations of the ailing state-owned Guyana Electricity Corporation (GEC).

This is largely because its customers are not satisfied with the level of services, especially the spate of blackouts that continues to dog them.

Guyanese who long suffered from the blackout plague under the GEC know how much of a nightmare that was and mortally dread a return to anything resembling that experience.

They endured too much in those days and have every right to demand a vastly improved level of service - something all expected with the advent of the GPL.

People depend so much on electricity these days that they suffer immensely when they are deprived of a reliable supply or are subject to incessant interruptions which often damage their appliances and equipment.

People have grown accustomed to watching TV for many reasons; homes are dark caves without electric light; many have computers and home appliances that can only be used with electricity - in short electricity is a necessity rather than a luxury and modern life is almost catastrophic without a reliable and constant supply.

And it's almost impossible to run a business without a stable electricity supply - which is why so many firms have their own supply or backup generators for when GPL cannot deliver.

As President Bharrat Jagdeo succinctly put it last week: "I don't care what they (GPL) have to do...my basis of performance is that when you turn the switch there must be power there, uninterrupted power".

That's what GPL customers expect - power when they turn the switch on.

That's not what they have been getting and that's the cause for the bulk of the criticism the power company has come under.

In the face of the persistent complaints, including from the Government, GPL Chief Executive Officer, Mr. John Lynn said Monday that the firm was moving towards a position where it can satisfy its customers with an efficient and uninterrupted supply of electricity.

GPL was working very hard to make the necessary improvements that customers were demanding, he said.

"We see ourselves moving towards a position where we can satisfy our customers with an efficient, uninterrupted supply of electricity," he said.

This is its mandate and GPL should pull out all the stops in achieving the goal.

It admittedly did not inherit from the GEC a system that was of the best and it faced a monumental task in setting things right.

Its major shareholders, however, knew what they were getting into when they took over and they have fallen short on expectations.

The Government would have to maintain a close watch on the performance of the company and take whatever options are open if there's no acceptable improvements.

Electricity is too vital to the many facets of modern life to be left to chance.