(FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — The government will begin a program geared at helping eligible low-income households settle their electricity bills at full cost, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said on Sunday.
In a statement, the PCO said that the current administration would launch the Lifeline Rate program in September this year to aid qualified families, which include beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), or “customers considered to be living below the poverty threshold” according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
According to PCO, only one distribution utility (DU) or electric cooperative (EC) service per qualified household can be granted a lifeline rate.
Eligible families could apply until the launch, and should accomplish their Lifeline Rate Application Form and submit them to the DU or EC along with their recent electric bill and any valid government-issued ID with their signature and address.
Clients living below the poverty threshold are required to submit a certification from the local Social Welfare and Development Office (SWDO) issued within the last six months at the time of their application.
Power reduction rates
The power reduction rate depends on the rates of the DUs or ECs.
Beneficiaries who were able to avail of the lifeline rate through Meralco with zero to 20 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of monthly consumption “would be granted a 100 percent discount, including system loss, transmission, and distribution components of their bill, except for the fixed metering charge of P5.”
This means that approximately only P20 will be paid from their electric bills, but if they are unable to secure lifeline rates, they will have to pay more or less P250.
Customers with 21-50 kWh usage who secured lifeline rates will only have to pay P300, while P550 for those who were unable to apply.
Clients with a 51-70 kWh consumption bracket will only be paying around P522.90, but will pay the undiscounted rate of P763.37 if they do not secure lifeline rates.
Those with 71-100 kWh usage will only pay P904.21, but will pay the undiscounted rate of P1,099.10, if they do not apply for lifeline rates.