83 power cooperatives to extend payment deadlines

SOME 83 electric cooperatives

( ECs) have announced a 30- day payment extension for customers amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid- 19) pandemic, the National Electrification Administration ( NEA) said on Thursday.

“While a significant number of electric cooperatives already complied with the directive— most are found in Luzon and Visayas— other power co- ops simply released public announcements on the waiver of surcharges for late payments and suspension of disconnection activities,” NEA said in a statement.

The Department of Energy

( DoE) has called on the power sector to defer payments of obligations and dues until after the enhanced community quarantine imposed on Luzon to curb the pandemic.

NEA then issued an advisory regarding the bill payment extension to all 121 ECs nationwide as Covid- 19 expected to take a serious financial toll on many Filipino families and industries nationwide.

NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong said implementing a 30- day payment extension to electricity consumers will help ease their financial burden, especially those impacted by the enhanced community quarantines due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“My appeal to the electric cooperatives is to comply with the advisories of both the Department of Energy and the NEA since they also get reprieve from paying their obligations to their power suppliers,” Masongsong said.

The NEA chief also reiterated his directive to all ECs to ensure continuous electricity services to consumers in their respective franchise areas, particularly to critical loads such as hospitals and medical facilities, government offices, and other basic utility service providers.

Masongsong welcomed the steps already taken by the management of electric cooperatives to protect their employees, especially the line workers and other crews, who need to work on the field to ensure that power distribution services will not be disrupted.

These include the adoption of work- from- home arrangements, shortened work hours, or establishment of skeleton staff for people who work in the offices, as well as the production of improvised face masks, face shields and other personal protective equipment for those who work in the field.