Lawmaker to Meralco: Extend grace period to July

By Divina Nova Joy Dela Cruz December 24, 2020
https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/12/24/news/national/lawmaker-to-meralco-extend-grace-period-to-july/816738/

Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate of the Bayan Muna party-list welcomed the granting of the Manila Electric Co.’s (Meralco) extension of its no-disconnection period until January 31 next year, but asked the power distributor to further stretch it to six more months, or until July, as the pandemic persists.

With the extension, services for electricity consumers with a consumption of 200 kilowatts per hour and below during the December 2020 billing will not be disconnected. Meralco projected the extension to benefit more than 3 million consumers or around 47 percent of its total customer base.

The power distributor announced the extension after several groups, including House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco made the request. This was after the power distributor had extended the previous deadline of unpaid electricity bills from Sept. 30, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2020.

“This is a much welcome move but we urge Meralco to further extend its no disconnection period for at least six months so that electricity consumers would be in a better position to pay their bills considering that many lost their jobs and are finding it hard to just put a meal on the table,” Zarate said.

Meanwhile, despite the development, Zarate is still hoping that congressional investigation on Meralco’s rates will still push through.

Zarate is among the authors of House Resolution (HR) 879, seeking to probe the sudden spike in electricity rates, and HR 1350, seeking to probe Meralco’s alleged payment of overpriced generation rates.