ERC warns DUs on non-compliance on ‘payment installment’

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has sternly warned the distribution utilities that if they will violate regulatory mandates – primarily on the enforcement of payment installments for bills covering the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and if they will overbill consumers – they will be meted with fines and penalties.

As stated by ERC Chairperson Agnes T. Devanadera, “DUs that will be found and proven to have breached our directives during the national emergency and deviated from the intent of the President to alleviate the financial difficulties of the Filipino people during the crisis will be penalized through the imposition of appropriate fines pursuant to relevant rules and laws.”

Last week, the ERC issued a clear-cut order that the DUs like Manila Electric

Company (Meralco) will need to issue new billings that will manifest the mandated installment payments of four months for endusers with consumption of 201 kilowatt-hours (kWhs) and higher; then six months for those with usage of 200 kWh and below. The covered bills will be from March 16 to May 31 or during the ECQ and modified ECQ enforcements in various parts of the country because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Devanadera said three DUs are covered by the ERC order with four and sixmonth installments. Aside from Meralco, the same directive applies to Visayan Electric Company (VECO) and First Laguna Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FLECO).

For the rest of the privately owned DUs and electric cooperatives (ECs), the stretch of payments will be for four equal monthly installments from June to September this year.