Maynilad says June water billing to reflect meter reading

WEST zone water concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. said the water bill that its customers will receive for the month of June would reflect the actual billing and consumption for the months of March up to June.

Customers will receive only one bill for the month of June, the water provider said in a statement, assuring its customers that they will not receive separate bills for the months of March to May.

In the water bill for June, water consumption will be adjusted to the actual water reading.

For a clearer explanation, Maynilad said the water bill for June will show the following:

– The customers’ total actual water consumption from March to June, which was computed by subtracting the February meter reading to the actual current meter reading.

– The monthly water consumption breakdown per month, for the months of March to June. The readings, in cubic meters, have already been adjusted to actual consumption.

– The actual bill per month for the months of March to June based on the customers’ monthly consumption that have already been adjusted to actual reading.

– The previous unpaid amount, or the sum of the billings for the months of March, April, and May that may have remained unpaid while the lockdown was in place. Any unpaid bills before the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine will also be added, including promissory notes that have already lapsed.

– The current charges or the billing for the month of June.

– The total amount due, which is the sum of the previous unpaid amount and the current charges. Any payments made during the enhanced community quarantine will be subtracted from the total.

– The payment due date which states the extended deadline of payment. Customers must be able to fully pay the total amount due indicated in their June statement of account by the set date.

Maynilad said actual billings for customers who stayed at home during the lockdown, or from the months of March to June, might be higher than usual due to increased consumption.

“Higher water billings may be due to people being at home most of the time, from the hot weather, unpaid water bills before the community quarantine started, and consumption during the months of March to June has been historically higher,” it said.

Actual billings from March to June will be lower for customers who left their homes or stopped operating their businesses during the lockdown, it added.

“It will be lower than their previous averaged monthly billings because the consumption will be lower than the regular consumption,” Maynilad said.

Meanwhile, the water provider said that lifeline customers, or those who consume 10 cubic meters per month or less, will be given until August 31 to settle their bills accumulated during the lockdown.

Payments can be made in small, manageable installments. Partial payments can be made through any of the water company’s accredited payment channels.

Non-lifeline customers will have until July 31 to fully pay their accumulated billings.

Those who will be unable to fully settle their billings within the extended grace periods will receive a “notice of disconnection” the following month.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which has majority stake in Maynilad, is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific, the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave