By Alena Mae S. Flores
Electricity consumers may receive a higher refund from Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. and National Power Corp. after the Energy Regulatory Commission said the calculation of the agency’s double charges should cover a longer period.
The ERC said in a recent ruling the refund would cover more than P9.839 billion for the transmission line costs alone, taking into account the subsequent payments made beyond August 2012.
The regulator upheld the double line rental loss charges filed by distributor Manila Electric Co. against PSALM, the agency that manages the assets and liabilities of Napocor.
“The commission maintains that the most fair and equitable methodology in determining the extent of the double charging is the 2.98 percent straight discount from the Napocor time-of-use rate,” the ERC said.
The regulator said the 2.98- percent discount from the Napocor-TOU should be applied retroactively, or for the period November 2006 to August 2012 billing and until the cessation of the Napocor-TOU rates and “prospectively by deducing the 2.98 percent transmission loss cost from the Napocor-TOU rates.”
The ERC said the amount to be refunded by Napocor to consumers covered not only P5.176 billion but also “subsequent payments it received from Meralco beyond actual cessation of the collection of the 2.98 percent line loss charge in its time-of-use rates.”
It also said Meralco’s petition against Napocor’s successor generating companies should not only be for the recovery of P4.663 billion, but also for subsequent payments beyond 2012 or until the period when the collection stopped.
ERC directed Meralco to file a petition against Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd., AP Renewables Inc., Therma Luzon Inc., San Miguel Energy Corp., Sem-Calaca Power Corp. and South Premiere Power Corp.
The generating firms, which acquired the power plants through the privatization of government’s power assets, assumed Napocor’s supply contract to Meralco. source
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