Meralco: Discount for ‘lifeline customers,’ no disconnection until Oct. 31

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) on Monday said it will grant a distribution charge discount amounting to P101 million to its “lifeline customers”.

During the hybrid hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Good Governance and Public Accountability, Meralco president and CEO Ray Espinosa said the discount will cover 2.77 million lifeline customers or those who consume 100 kilowatts per hour and below.

In the same hearing, Espinosa announced that Meralco will be extending its period of no power disconnection until the end of October to help consumers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Bilang tugon sa mungkahi ng Speaker Alan Cayetano, kami ay magbibigay ng relief or ayuda sa kanila equivalent to a total of P101 million mula sa aming distribution charge. Ang pagbabasehan namin dito ay ang mga lifeline customers as of February 2020,” Espinosa told lawmakers.

(In response to the suggestion of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, we will be giving relief equivalent to a total of P101 million from our distribution charge. The basis will be lifeline customers as of February 2020.)

“Ginagamit natin ang February 2020 kasi yun ang huling actual meter reading bago nagkaroon ng ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) at MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine), at dito malalaman natin sino ang mga lifeline customers na yun na inabutan ng ECQ at MECQ,” he added.

(We are using February 2020 records as basis because that is the last actual meter reading before the ECQ and MECQ were imposed and from here we will see the lifeline customers affected by ECQ and MECQ.)

Espinosa said the discount will be given as an additional credit to the succeeding billings of the customers covered by the discount.

No disconnection period extended

“Bilang tugon sa inyong request, ie-extend ko yung suspension ng disconnection hanggang end of October, para mas mabigyan ng panahon ang ating mga customers na makalikom ng sapat na pambayad sa kanilang mga bills,” Espinosa said.

(In response to your request, I will suspend the disconnection until the end of October so that we give our customers time to save money for their bills.)

Initially, the no power disconnection policy of Meralco was supposed to end on September 30.

 gsg