Meralco told: Conduct actual meter readings

By Lenie Lectura May 26, 2020
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/05/26/meralco-told-conduct-actual-meter-readings/

The chairman of the House Committee on Energy on Monday urged the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to charge its customers based on their actual power consumption.

Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco also asked the power distributor to assure consumers that they will not face disconnection should they fail to pay bills incurred during this pandemic.

Velasco made the statement following growing complaints on the recent spike in electricity bills that have shocked its customers amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic gripping the country.

During the recent Joint Congressional Energy Commission (JCEC) hearing, which was co-chaired by Velasco and Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, Meralco—the country’s largest distribution utility—was asked to explain the increase in electricity charges and the convenience fee it charges to customers.

“Consumers are really surprised when they see their bills and their huge charge,” said Velasco, who even showed during the hearing a sample of a billing statement from Meralco, which indicated that charges jumped to P30,000 from the average of about P10,000 for two months prior to the pandemic.

Meralco representatives told the power sector primary watchdog that electricity billing was based on the actual consumption from the current meter reading and the “estimated consumption” in March and April, when billings were deferred due to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

When Velasco asked if actual meter readings were done during the entire ECQ, Meralco admitted that for the month of April, it only managed to cover 1 percent of its customers.

He also requested from Meralco to make an assurance that its consumers will not be faced with disconnection should they fail to pay their electricity bills incurred during the ECQ.

To this the utility company said, “We will be very considerate for the benefit of our customers.”

According to Velasco, the utility company should also assure consumers that the necessary adjustment in their bill will be applied, if any, and that they will only pay for electricity that they actually consumed.

The company said some March and all April bills were estimates based on the average daily consumption of customers over the previous three months, following the Distribution Services and Open Access Rules (DSOAR) issued by the ERC. Meralco suspended physical meter reading during the ECQ.