Meralco reverts to previous generation charge per SC TRO

Published December 26, 2013 3:08pm

Abiding by the high court's temporary restraining order (TRO) against the rate hike, Meralco's generation charge would remain at P5.67 per kilowatt hour, the Philippines' largest power distributor said on Thursday.

Meralco also disclosed refund schemes for customers affected by a tariff hike, which was temporarily stopped by the Supreme Court on Monday.

But with only 30 percent of Meralco's customers not billed with higher generation charge for December, the power distributor outlined ways affected consumers could get a refund.

An option is to pay the bill and get a refund should the SC rule against the hike with finality.

Another option is to pay the same bill as the one in November. This, however, is for those with the same electricity consumption this month and the previous.

Meralco Vice President and Head for Customer Process Liza Rose Serrano-Diangson said in GMA News TV report: "Kung gusto nilang bayaran yung kamukhang amount noong November in place of their December [bill], they can do that."

"They can go to the business centers to pay or they can just also opt to pay the December bill amount tapos ang adjustment moving forward," she added.

Those who have paid will also have to wait for the Supreme Court's final ruling. The high court's oral arguments on the price hike is set on January 21, 2014.

"Sa mga customers who received their bills on or before the 23rd and have already paid, yun hong adjustment will be made in accordance with the final Supreme Court decision," Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco spokesperson said.

Meralco noted that the increase in generation charge would be spent for power generators especially as the cost of power in the market went up.

Meanwhile, the Energy Regulatory Commission said it would investigate the power distributors and generators on the price increase.

The ERC earlier allowed Meralco to hike electricity rates in three tranches: in December 2013, and February and March 2014.

The record power rate increase pegged at P4.16 per kilowatt hour (kWh) includes billing components other than and generation charge which Meralco pays its power suppliers, is the highest electricity rate increase on record to be implemented by Meralco.

Thus, the generation charge will increase by P2 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in December, P1 per kWh in February 2014 and P0.44 per kWh in March 2014.

All in all, including other charges like transmission charges, taxes and other components, the electricity rate will jump by P2.41 per kWh in December, P1.21 per kWh in February and P0.54 in March, he added.

This means customers consuming 200 kWh will see their December billing statement increase by P482 while those consuming 300 kWh by P723. —Siegfrid O. Alegado, with reports from Marc Jayson Cayabyab/KG/OMG/ELR, GMA News

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