May 7, 2020 | 12:05 am
https://www.bworldonline.com/erc-further-extends-period-to-pay-power-bills/
THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on late Tuesday ordered power utilities to further extend the grace period for customers in paying their electricity bills that were due within the period of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
In an advisory, it said that electricity consumers in areas under ECQ will have to pay their deferred bills starting May 30, which may be done in four installments in the next four billing months as earlier directed.
The grace period in bills payment provided to households in areas now under general community quarantine is still retained, the ERC said.
Currently, the areas under ECQ include the National Capital Region, Central Luzon (except Aurora), Calabarzon, Pangasinan, Benguet, Iloilo province, Cebu, Bacolod City, Davao City, Albay, and Zamboanga.
Meanwhile, the rest of the country is now under the more-relaxed GCQ from May 1 to 15.
The deadline will also be extended for the payments of dues and obligations by distribution utilities and retail electricity suppliers to power generators and suppliers, the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., National Power Corp., National Transmission Corp., National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, independent power producers (IPP), IPP administrators and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market operator.
The regulatory agency reiterated its recent order that utilities using estimated billings must indicate in their customers’ bills that they are being charged for their average electricity consumption from January to March, or the past three months before the ECQ period.
Government entities that are contestable electricity customers will start their regular payments of bills from May 16.
Further, ERC said that the suspension of the collection of feed-in-tariff allowance, which is also paid for by power consumers, is only applicable for the March and April billing periods. — Adam J. Ang
No comments:
Post a Comment