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Well, here’s a spot of good news following the headache caused by spiked power bills.
Manila Electric Company (Meralco), the country’s sole electricity distributor, is now giving Filipino consumers until Sept. 30 before they pull the plug on unpaid power bills, which piled up during the enhanced community quarantine.
Meralco President and Chief Executive Officer Ray Espinosa agreed yesterday to lawmakers’ suggestion made during a House of Representative’s hearing that they should extend the payment period so that consumers, most of whom have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, will have time to settle their bills.
“We take note of the suggestion and request. We will extend the no disconnection [period] until September 30 of this year,” Espinosa said.
The power firm’s vice president, Victor Genuino, added that this period may be extended further if needed.
“Currently we are granting until Sept. 30, but we are aware of the plight of our countrymen. We will be sensitive and we will take a look once we get closer to Sept. 30,” Genuino said.
Read: Meralco, other utility firms extend payment deadlines due to Luzon lockdown
Consumers have complained of getting “bill shock,” a term used to describe the sudden increase in an electric bill, after Meralco charged them for an estimated three months’ worth of power usage instead of actually reading their meters. Power reading, which was suspended for three months, resumed in May. Espinosa said they computed and adjusted consumption retroactively, a factor that may have contributed to the energy surge.
The Energy Regulatory Commission said in May that it had asked Meralco to explain why it shouldn’t be held liable for the shocking bills.
Last week, spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga responded to public outcry in a Meralco advisory, where he said that they are charging consumers for usage based on actual meter readings. He added that the punishing heat, on top of more people staying at home, also contributed to the surge in power consumption.
“We apologize for the great inconvenience that these billing issues have caused to our customers. Rest assured, we are doing our best to sort out all these issues,” Espinosa said.
