ni Lolet Abania | February 19, 2021
Ipinag-utos ng Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) sa Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) na ibalik ang mahigit sa P13.88 billion o katumbas ng isang average refund na Php0.1528 kada kilowatt hour sa mga customers na maaaring umabot sa 24-buwan o hanggang ang halaga ay ganap nang maibalik.
“The Commission approved MERALCO’s prayer for the issuance of a provisional authority in order to allow their customers to immediately enjoy the benefits of the proposed refund and provide immediate rate relief especially during this time of pandemic,” ani ERC Chairperson at CEO Agnes VST Devanadera.
Sa inilabas na order ng ERC, ang ibinigay na limit sa kumpanya na provisional authority ay para lamang sa pag-refund ng nasabing halaga sa mga customers na inihain ng Meralco.
"With the petition we filed, Meralco hopes to put the PBR (performance-based-regulation) mechanism back on track, that we appreciate the provisional approval and that we will follow the order as this will provide much needed relief to our customers", ayon kay Joe Zaldarriaga, ang vice-president for Corporate Communications ng Meralco sa hiwalay na pahayag.
Nakapaloob din sa direktiba ng ERC na ipinahihiwalay sa Meralco ang mga nakalagay sa electric bill, ang tungkol sa ibibigay na refund sa kanilang mga customers.
Base sa computation, ang residential at General Service A customers ay may P0.2761 per kilowatt hour (kWh) refund; sa General Service B customers ay P0.1811 per kWh; General Power A customers ay P0.0789 per kWh; government hospitals, metered street lights at charitable institutions (GHMSCI) ay P0.1165 per kWh; flat street lights ay P0.2870 per kWh; at generator wheeling ay P0.0366 per kWh.
“As regulator of the electric power industry, the Commission in determining its actions on applications filed before it, has the consumer welfare as its primary consideration, thus, our decision to immediately authorize the refund. We hope that the reduction in rate could help our consumers cope with the still ongoing pandemic,” sabi pa ni Devanadera.