MERALCO, pinagmulta ng 19M dahil sa ‘serious neglect’

Pinagmulta ng Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) ang Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) ng PhP19 milyon dahil sa kabiguan nitong sumunod sa installment payment arrangement at ipaalam sa consumers na estimated ang bills ng mga ito.

Sa inilabas na desisyon ng ERC noong Agosto 20, sinabi ng ahensya na nilabag ng MERALCO ang naturang advisories mula Marso hanggang Hulyo habang may community quarantine.

“The Commission issued the relevant Advisories with the intention of alleviating the financial burden of the electricity consumers who were mostly adversely affected by the community quarantine measures implemented by the government. This serious neglect by MERALCO resulted to a multitude of complaints filed by its consumers to this Commission”, pahayag ni ERC Chairperson at CEO Agnes VST Devanadera.

Binase ng ERC ang multa sa 190 araw na hindi pagsunod ng MERALCO mula nang ipag-utos ng ERC ang mga naturang direktiba hanggang sa ilabas ng kumpanya ang personalized billing statements noong Hulyo 9.

Iniatas din ng ERC na i-“zero” ng MERALCO ang distribution, supply, and metering (DSM) charges ng lifeline consumers na ang buwanang konsumo ay hindi hihigit sa 100 kWh. Inaasahang makatutulong ang discount sa 2 milyong lifeline consumers na hindi kukulang sa 1 buwan.

Tinatayang PhP200 milyong kabuuang halaga ng discount ang maipamimigay. Hindi apektado rito ang non-lifeline consumers.

“We urge the Distribution Utilities to take our Advisories very seriously. Our Advisories were issued to aid the electricity consumers in light of the on-going pandemic. It was supposed to provide a respite from the various financial woes of the consumers. In real time response to the changes brought forth by the pandemic, the Commission hereby intervenes and provides relief to the most affected consumers in the form of discount to the applicable retail rate,” dagdag pa ni ERC Chair Devanadera.