No service cuts for unpaid power bills until July–ERC
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has ordered power distribution utilities, including Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), to suspend the disconnection of services among customers who fail to settle their electricity bills from May to July as oil prices continue to go up because of the Middle East crisis.
In an advisory, the ERC said that the order covers all distribution utilities across the country. It added that this was in line with the move of President Marcos to place the country under a state of national energy emergency amid the continuous tension in the oil-producing region after the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.
The geopolitical woes, according to the ERC, pose “imminent danger on the availability and stability of the country’s energy supply.”
Installments
In its order, the commission directed power distributors to implement flexible payment options to soften the financial burden on residential and nonresidential customers.
For those consuming 200 kilowatt hours or less, they may pay their electricity bills in three monthly installments.
In addition, generation companies, the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., National Power Corp., National Transmission Corp., National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, independent power producers and market operators were also ordered to extend similar payment options to distribution utilities.
Meralco, the country’s biggest power distributor, raised its power rates for a third straight month in April, even as millions of its consumers are reeling from the impact of higher fuel prices. Meralco has yet to announce if it will again impose another rate adjustment this month. It delivers electricity to over 8.2 million consumers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Although consumers saw fuel price rollbacks in the past three weeks, oil retailers again imposed minimal upward adjustments this week given geopolitical uncertainties.
Effective on May 6, local fuel retailers raised the prices per liter of diesel by P2.66 and gasoline by P2.21. The price of kerosene, on the other hand, went down by P3.53 per liter.
