Consumers to get refund – Meralco

THE Manila Electric Co. ( Meralco) on Wednesday gave assurances that its customers would be issued updated electricity bills based on recent meter readings and that consumers who already settled their bills would get a refund if they overpaid.

Victor Genuino, Meralco first vice president and head of customer retail services and corporate communications, gave the assurance when he appeared during the public hearing conducted by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy. The panel held the inquiry amid growing complaints on the high electricity bill received by Meralco customers.

“Important eh om aka pa g-meter reading. I ya nang mag iging base han actual consumption niya.Kungnakapag- estimate po tayong March and April and ang lumabas ho is the last meter reading was in February, ang makukuhalang po niyang consumption is your May reading, less your February reading, you will have consumption, ta tang gal in hon at in‘ yung in estimate natin ng March and April and makukuha po‘ yung net (It is important to have meter reading. That will be the basis of a customer’s actual consumption. If we were able to get estimates in March and April, and if it will be determined that the last meter reading was in February, we will get the May reading, less the February reading, you will have consumption and we will disregard the March and

April estimates, and we will get) the net amount. By that formula we can guarantee that once we get recent meter readings, customers will only be billed for their actual consumption,” he said.

The power company started delivering bills this month on May 8.

Genuino said customers who paid extra for their electricity consumption could get a refund from Meralco business centers.

He added that customers also had the option to apply the overpaid amount to their next bill.

The reading of electric meters stopped when the government imposed an enhance community quarantine in March.