Meralco tells consumers to wait for new bill for May

Power distribution giant Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) on Wednesday said it has read the meters of around 65% of its customers for May as it advised consumers to wait for new bills to be issued before settling any payment.

“For the month of May with the couple of days close before the end of the month, we have read about 65%,” Meralco first vice president and head of Customer Retail Services Victor Genuino said during the House Committee on Energy virtual hearing.

This, after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) issued a directive for distribution utilities to conduct actual meter readings and thereafter issue a new billing reflecting the actual consumption and the corresponding amount due, not later than June 8, 2020. 

The power industry regulator issued the directive on the heels of the supposed “bill shock” in Meralco consumers’ electricity bills this month.

The company has since explained that the unusual spike in bills resulted from estimation using the three-month average consumption prior to March and April —when the enhanced community quarantine is fully in place and physical meter readings were not possible.

To correct the discrepancy, ERC chair Agnes Devanadera said, during the hearing, the last meter reading in February will be computed until May to get the actual consumptions during the ECQ periods.

Payments for electricity consumption during quarantine periods will be staggered in four to six monthly installments, with the first monthly amortization to be made not earlier than June 15, 2020, without penalties, interest and other fees.

Subsequent installments for bills will be due every 15th of the month starting July 2020 until fully settled.

“Consumers must wait for the corrected bill,” Genuino said, noting new bills will contain letters explaining  to the customer how the distributor came up with the amount.

“Ang importante na makapag-meter reading ang Meralco. ‘Yan ang magiging basehan ng actual consumption,” he said. -NB, GMA News