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Meralco: Customers may refund fully-paid bills consumed during lockdown, pay in installments
By DONA MAGSINO, GMA News The customers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) who already paid in full the bills that were supposed to be covered by the installment scheme have the option to refund and revert to staggered payments, according to the distribution utility's president and CEO Ray Espinosa on Monday.
"Kung nagbayad kayo at gusto ninyong mag-installment plan, ire-refund po ng Meralco lahat ng binayad ninyo at makakatanggap kayo ng installment letter para i-itemize 'yung installment plan ninyo na six payments o four payments," Espinosa said in a Senate hearing conducted by the committee on energy.
"'Yung refund na ganun ay ina-apply rin po namin kahit doon sa mga nagbayad sa credit card kasi marami kaming customers naka-autocharge sa credit card, pati iyon ay sinasaklaw ng aming advisory na kung nagbayad kayo in full ng bills ninyo na dapat nabayaran ninyo in installment, ire-refund po namin 'yan," he added.
Espinosa said special lanes will be created to accommodate customers with such requests.
"Gagawa ho kami ng special lane para sa kanila para sila lang ang aasikasuhin kung sila'y magpapa-refund kasi 'yung refund ho na iyan, ibibigay sa kanila nang aktwal sa ating mga business offices," he said.
The Energy Regulatory Commission previously instructed the distribution utilities nationwide to allow a four- to six-month installment payment scheme for electricity bills falling within the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and modified ECQ periods.
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"'Yun pong refund na iyon ay agad-agad nilang puwedeng makuha sa Meralco ang kailangan nilang gawin ay pumunta sila sa kahit anong business office ng Meralco, ipakita nila ang kanilang proof of payment na nagbayad na sila ng mga buwan na iyon," he said.
Sila po ay bibigyan ng refund at padadalhan sila ng sulat na sila ay magbabayad na on installment [basis]. Ganoon po kadali ang ipapatupad natin," he added.
During the same hearing, Meralco was also quizzed by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on when they will make a refund for the "overestimated" consumptions during the lockdown period of March and April.
The company maintained that there were no overcharging as what was "overly estimated" have already been deducted in the succeeding bill.
Gatchalian pointed out that such adjustments were not indicated in the bills. Meralco vowed to issue another clarificatory letter to consumers to address the said gap.—AOL, GMA News