Posted on 11:44 PM, January 05, 2011
SENIOR CITIZENS could soon enjoy utility rate reductions provided by law as the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) released final rules governing power discounts and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. said it was now signing up qualified customers.
A 5% discount on power rates will apply for senior citizens who keep their monthly consumption to no more than 100 kilowatt-hours.
"The rules will still be published in a newspaper. Effectivity is 15 days thereafter. The discounts can be availed of from the time the senior [citizen] customer qualifies as such," ERC executive director Saturnino C. Juan said.
Senior citizens must register with their power utility to get a 5% discount in their electricity bills. They should, however, not consume more than 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month and must have owned their meters for at least a year.
"During the initial or first implementation of the granting of the discounts to qualified senior citizen end users, the distribution utility shall determine the subsidy rate to be charged," the ERC rules state.
"[T]he amount of such subsidy shall in no case exceed the amount of discounts extended to qualified senior citizen end users. The senior citizen subsidy rate shall be calculated and billed each calendar month."
A separate line item will be added to monthly bills for the senior citizen subsidy and "distribution utilities shall bill their customers the monthly computed senior citizen subsidy rate with the need of prior ERC approval."
Pete L. Ilagan, president of the National Association for Electricity Consumers for Reforms, Inc., said the rules may not be in accordance with the spirit of the law.
"Not all senior citizens consume less than 100 kWh and there are too many hassles the senior citizen has to go through to get his discounts," he said.
As this developed, Maynilad said it would begin the registration of customers qualified for discounted water rates.
The west zone concessionaire said the "water service connection must be classified under the residential or semi-business category, registered in the name of the senior citizen and the monthly basic consumption of the account must not exceed 30 cubic meters of water."
The discounts could start next month, Maynilad spokesperson Cherubim G. Ocampo said in a text message.
"We can now receive and process applicants for the discount. Once the application is received and approved, the discount will be applied to the next billing period," Ms. Ocampo said.
East zone concessionaire Manila Water Co. began implementing senior citizen discounts last October.
Republic Act (RA) 9994, signed into law last February, grants qualified senior citizens a 5% discount on utilities, provided that "the individual meters for the foregoing utilities are registered in the name of the senior citizen residing therein .. [and] that the monthly consumption does not exceed one hundred kilowatt-hours of electricity or thirty cubic meters of water."
The privilege is "granted per household, regardless of the number of senior citizens residing therein," the law states.
The law also states that "At least fifty percent discount shall be granted on the consumption of electricity, water, and telephone by the senior citizens center and residential care/group homes that are government-run or non-stock, non-profit domestic corporation organized and operated primarily for the purpose of promoting the well-being of abandoned, neglected, unattached, or homeless senior citizens." -- E. N. J. David
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