The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is crafting the guidelines that would allow for a staggered payment of electricity bills and for the implementation of a moratorium on electricity line disconnection of customers in areas affected by severe tropical storm (STS) “Kristine.”
The ERC in a statement on Wednesday said this is in compliance with the order of President Marcos Jr. to study possible flexible payment options on electricity bills of customers in 161 areas placed under a state of calamity.
The proposal is meant to alleviate the financial impact of the weather disturbance to consumers.
ERC is considering a staggered collection of payments from October to December 2024.
To implement the relief measures, the ERC would have to issue a formal order to distribution utilities (DUs) and electric cooperatives (PCs)
Jesse Hermogenes Andres, ERC officer-in-charge chairperson and chief executive officer, appealed to all DUs to consider undertaking voluntary relief measures that will ease the burden of electricity costs in severely affected areas “in consideration of the coming holiday season.”
The ERC said in the meantime, privately owned DUs, together with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and ECs in areas affected by STS Kristine, must fast track the restoration of electricity in typhoon-hit areas and assess overall damage.
Areas declared under state of calamity due to STS Kristine include Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Donsol and Matnog all in the province of Bicol; Samar and Calbayog City in Eastern Visayas; Mulanay, Tagkawayan and Lucban in Quezon Province; and the entire province of Cavite.
Relief measures are nothing new. Earlier this year, the ERC ordered all DUs and ECs to stagger the collection of charges covering Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) purchases for the billing months of June to September.
This was meant to ease the burden of the high cost of electricity at the WESM caused by supply reserve shortages due to El Niño.
The last time DUs and ECs volunteered to implement a moratorium on electricity line disconnections and payment collections was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
