Iloilo, MORE Power crack down on illegal connections

The Iloilo City government and power utility More Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) are running after electricity thieves and illegal power connections, which have caused power rates to spike in the province in the past few years.

The utility firm said it receives two to three reports of illegal power connections daily, forcing the company to intensify its surveillance operations to catch the syndicates and their members behind the power pilferage operations.

MORE Power president Roel Castro said the company believes the huge number of illegal power connections in the city is the biggest factor behind the high electricity rates.

“The proliferation of illegal connections in the city, which has been a problem since the time of the previous distribution utility, drives up systems losses which are actually paid for by legitimate consumers,” Castro said.

Castro said there is a possibility that several syndicates operate in the city that sell illegal power connections.

“It is possible that it is committed by an organized group. It’s already a business. The syndicates have their assigned areas, or franchise so to speak. We already identified them and in due time we will deal with them,” Castro said.

MORE Power has established a onestop shop to process the application for regular power connection accounts within 10 to 12 days.

Based on its technical analysis of the electricity that flows into and used by its entire franchise, there could be 30,000 illegal power connections that raises the total systems losses to 20 percent.

Translated into wattage, illegal connections could account for as much as 20 megawatts (MW) of the 100 megawatts (MW) that Iloilo City consumes daily, Castro said.

“Illegal connections are the main causes of unscheduled brownouts because the lines and transformers are overloaded. If we can lower the systems losses, it will translate to lower rates. It also has aesthetic value because we will minimize those illegal wirings that are attached to our distribution lines,” he said.

Meanwhile, Iloilo City’s lone congressman believes illegal power connections were allowed to proliferate to benefit a select group of criminalminded persons who ran the huge electricity pilferage operation like an “organized business” for illegal profits.

She appealed to Ilonggos to help put a stop to these illegal operations by pointing to authorities where illegal power connections exist and, if they have one, to apply for a regular power connection account with MORE Power.

Baronda said power thieves would exist only as long as Ilonggos allow them to exist, either by turning a blind eye to their existence or securing an illegal connection themselves.

“Electricity pilferage has become a practice because the violators have gotten away with their crime but this should be put to a stop,” the congressman said.