Lawmakers push Meralco probe
LAWMAKERS on Tuesday sought to investigate the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) because of numerous complaints of high billing statements during the lockdown period.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said yesterday, May 19, the Senate would dig deeper into the issue when the Joint Congressional Energy Commission investigates the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the power sector on Friday.
“Many of us are left wondering how Meralco has come up with such high charges, especially during this time of the pandemic when many of us are facing mounting expenses and loss of livelihood,” he added.
“The problem lies with Meralco’s confusing electricity bill. Meralco has failed to provide Filipinos a clearer and justified explanation on why bills have gone up so high,” he continued.
Some lawmakers from the House of Representatives also want to probe Meralco because of the sudden spike in electricity rates and bills during the community quarantine.
The Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution 879 directing the Energy committee to conduct the investigation in aid of legislation.
The lawmakers cited Meralco’s increase of P0.1050 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), from P8.8901 per kWh to P8.9951 per kWh in April. The increase is equivalent to a P21-increase in the total bill of residential customers with an average of 200 kWh monthly consumption.
“Several media reports quoted electric consumers complaining about their Meralco bills that have tripled or, for some, even quadrupled, despite their present low consumption, as well as in previous months. Such high and unconscionable electric bills, only added more anxiety to many, especially now when most people are in dire straits to survive the harsh effects of the crisis brought by the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic,” the resolution read.
Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate asked the Energy Regulatory Commission to conduct its own investigation.
House Deputy Majority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera warned that Meralco might be held liable under the Bayanihan Act it fails to “satisfactorily address” the “bill shock” experienced by its customers.
“Meralco should be made to explain why it is not guilty of violating the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act following the surge in the electricity bills of its customers while the country is under a state of public health emergency and millions suffer from the economic fallout of lockdown measures to contain the spread of Covid-19,” she said.
She stressed that the power firm should respond to claims that its May 2020 billing merely consolidated two months’ worth of readings conducted on March 20 and April 20, and made them both due on May 29.
Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi asked Meralco to explain the levying of a convenience fee for paying electricity bills through the power distributor’s online application.
The Department of Energy has received reports regarding high charges reflected in the customers’ bills during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, as well as the payment of a fee of P47 per transaction for paying bills through Meralco’s app, Cusi said on Tuesday.
“[W]e have been receiving reports that your system effectively obliges the paying customer to depart from existing payment arrangements i.e., through banks and now they have to go through your app for which they have to pay a fee of P47 per transaction,” said Cusi in a letter to Meralco President and Chief Executive Officer Ray Espinosa.
“ln this regard, we would like your company to explain to us immediately the rationale of your new payment scheme and confirm if the above information is correct and approved by management,” he continued.
The Energy chief noted that Meralco was supposed to obtain approval from the government before imposing charges for bill payments made through its online portal.
Sought for comment, Meralco Senior Vice President and Head of Legal and Corporate Governance William Pamintuan said the power company would submit its reply to the Energy department’s inquiry on the P47-fee.
“The online fees are not Meralco’s fees and does not accrue to Meralco, but are the fees charged by online payment services provider to those using their platform or system to transact online payments for their convenience,” he added.
“This is purely voluntary on the part of the customer and is just one of the many available payment options,” he said, adding that only those who pay through the Meralco Online or Meralco Mobile App should be charged with the online fees.