MANILA, Philippines — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has allowed distribution utilities (DUs) and retail electricity suppliers (RES) to defer electricity billings falling due within the extended enhanced community quarantine.
In its latest advisory, the ERC directed all DUs and RES not to impose interest, penalties, fees and other charges.
Moreover, the power regulator said the cumulative amount of electricity bills that was supposed to have fallen due within the quarantine period should be amortized in four equal monthly installments, payable in the four succeeding billing months following the end of the lockdown.
However, the ERC has also encouraged customers who can settle their bills on time “to help manage the cashflow in the energy supply chain and ensure continuous supply of electricity.”
In turn, the regulator allowed DUs to adopt incentive schemes to encourage early payment of bills by customers who are able to settle ahead of the four months.
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has welcomed the ERC’s decision to allow a grace period for customers o help unburden Filipinos amid the extended Luzon quarantine.
“We welcome the recent ERC directives and as such will implement all the guidelines in the ERC advisory. We are confident that under the ERC’s guidance, Meralco’s implementation of the grace period, deferment of electricity bill and four-month amortization of the bills falling within the [quarantine] will help ease and lessen the burden of our customers during these trying times as we face the global pandemic and endure through the current lockdown,” Meralco first vice president and regulatory management head Jose Ronald Valles said.
Meanwhile, Meralco has several options for customers who wish to settle their bills immediately.
“For our customers who wish to settle their accounts we also have many options available, including our Meralco Online service. We would like to clarify, however, that the P47 convenience fee does not go to Meralco, but is paid to our payment partners. But for customers who wish to skip the convenience fee, there are many other payment options being offered at your convenience,” Valles said.
The ERC has also directed the generators/suppliers, Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), National Power Corp. (NPC), National Transmission Corp. (TransCo), National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Independent Power Producer Administrators (IPPAa) and the Market Operator (MO) to extend the same grace period and payment scheme to the RES, DU and other customers.
It has also required DUs to submit power supply contract utilization report, record of payments received from customers, and record of payments made to suppliers covering the March 16 to April 30 period on or before May 31.