Meralco to fast-track refund of meter deposits

MANILA, Philippines - The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) aims to speed up the refund of meter deposits to consumers from five to four years.

Roberto Almazora, Meralco first vice president and head of customer retail services, said yesterday customers using less than 100 megawatts will get their refunds within the year.

“If possible, we target to hold the refund for those falling under the lifeline bracket in one year,” he said.

“We hope to complete the refund within 2009.”

Almazora said the refund was carried out according to plan since it started last November.

The refund would cover 1.8 million customers and would amount to a total of P2.8 billion, he added.

Almazora said Meralco intends to undertake an orderly refund of meter deposits.

“We are really trying to do everything to roll out the meter deposit refund,” he said.

The refund of meter deposits will include interest set by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), Almazora said.

Residential customers who paid their meter deposits between 1987 and 2004 will be notified through their electric bills of their schedule and where to go.

They will be followed by big consumers and then by qualified non-residential customers who paid their meter deposits between 1987 and 2006.

In 1987, the Board of Energy allowed distribution companies to collect a meter deposit from applicants for electric connection.

The action was affirmed by its successors, the Energy Regulatory Board and the ERC.

Meralco and other distribution companies were ordered to stop collecting meter deposits after the ERC issued the Magna Carta for Residential Electric Consumers in 2004 and the Distribution Services and Open Access Rules in 2006.

On June 4, 2008, the ERC released the meter deposit refund guidelines, which became effective on July 9. – Donnabelle Gatdula