MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco) has extended the suspension of disconnection activities in its franchise area until April 30, after the government announced that the National Capital Region and nearby provinces will be placed under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
“We hope this extension will help lessen the burden of our customers and provide enough relief and time for them to settle their bills,” Meralco First Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer Ferdinand O. Geluz said in a press release issued on Monday evening.
He added that the power distribution utility will continue to be considerate during this period and promised to assist its customers with their concerns.
Meralco will also continue meter reading and other vital operations in line with the previous order of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), Mr. Geluz said, adding that the company will strictly implement health protocols for the safety of its workers and customers.
On Tuesday, consumer advocate Power for People Coalition (P4P) welcomed Meralco’s move, but said that the power firm still had to resolve its alleged “anomalous billing and power purchase practices.”
“Meralco’s moving its deadlines does afford consumers a bit of respite from the constant threat of disconnection while making a living remains difficult amid another enhanced quarantine, but it does not mean that we owe Meralco any thanks as it keeps refusing to acknowledge that many of its customers still receive questionable charges,” P4P Convenor Gerry C. Arances was quoted as saying in a statement.
He said Meralco is “not solving anything” unless it stops buying power from unreliable coal facilities, the cost of which is passed on to consumers.
P4P noted that the “no-disconnection” extension came a week after the company announced a rate hike of P0.0872 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to P8.4067 per kWh for the billing month of April. Meralco attributed the rise in its overall power rate to higher spot market prices.
In a separate statement on Tuesday, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate energy committee, called on energy sector agencies and stakeholders to ensure continuous and reliable power supply during the home quarantine period as the government rolls out its vaccination program.
He also asked power generation companies to defer planned maintenance shutdowns to a later date, if possible.
Shares of Meralco at the local bourse inched down by 1.28% or P3.6 to close at P278.60 on Tuesday.
Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT, Inc.
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