INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The Energy Regulatory Commission has given its go signal for the prepaid electricity program of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
READ: Meralco eyes mid-2015 rollout of prepaid power program
Meralco would now be free to expand its Prepaid Retail Electric Service (PRES), also dubbed Kuryente Load, in other areas.
It has already been piloted in Manila and portions of Angono, Taytay and Cainta in Rizal.
READ: Meralco initiates tests on prepaid electricity scheme
Meralco on Friday said the ERC decision, dated April 27, showed that Meralco is compliant with the commission’s rules on PRES.
Through the service, customers can monitor and control their energy consumption through a prepaid retail system, similar to the one used by telecommunication companies.
“Customers can reload anytime, anywhere, through multiple loading channels such as Meralco business centers, Bayad Center outlets and eload retailers,” Meralco said in its statement. “There are no service fees – no bill deposit and no meter installation fee – making it more accessible for the previously unserved customers.”
Customers will receive short messaging system (SMS) notifications to aid customers in monitoring.
The ERC decision also affirmed Meralco’s use of an Advanced Metering Infrastructure Integrated Solution (AMI-IS), which will allow customers to monitor their consumption and load balance, as well as loading history and other account information.
While different brands of meters can be used, it should be compliant with the standards of the American National Standards Institute and should be sealed by the ERC before installation by Meralco.
“Retail rates for Kuryente Load shall be the effective postpaid retail rate at the particular month the credited load was consumed. At the end billing period, there will be a true-up of the customer’s expenditures,” Meralco said.
The company said even government offices such as the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Philippine National Police have started using prepaid electricity.
READ: PNP installs solar panels to cut electricity bill