Meralco told to explain alleged billing violations during lockdown

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Meralco told to explain alleged billing violations during lockdown

ABS-CBN News

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Updated Jun 10, 2020 05:44 PM PHT

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A lineman from an electric company takes a rest after working on electricity meters in Manila on May 13, 2020. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA - The Energy Regulatory Commission said Wednesday it asked Manila Electric Co to explain alleged billing violations during the coronavirus lockdown.

In a show-cause order, the ERC said Meralco breached the following enhanced and modified enhanced community quarantine advisories and gave the utility 10 days to respond:

  • The utilization of estimated billing and that the word "estimate" be clearly written on the bill
  • The cumulative amount of electric bills during the ECQ period should be amortized in 4 equal monthly installments
  • Payments of customers in areas under ECQ should start no earlier than May 30

"We cannot tolerate such non-compliance and any erring party must be held accountable for their actions or misactions," ERC chair and CEO Agnes Devanadera said.

In a separate statement, Meralco said it "complied" with the directives and would explain further to the Commission.

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"We reiterate that Meralco has not violated any rule even if our operations were severely challenged by this pandemic," said its first vice president and head of regulatory management Jose Ronald Valles.

Meralco earlier said billing for the period covered by the ECQ would be based on the consumption for the last 3 months after physical meter reading was suspended due to COVID-19.

Consumers, however, complained of inflated estimates prompting authorities to investigate the matter. The regulator earlier ordered Meralco to issue a consumption-based meter reading covering the lockdown period.

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