The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has ordered at least two-month leeway on the electric bill payments of consumers in the typhoon-affected areas in Visayas and Mindanao.

This order came alongside its call for speedy restoration of electricity services in the affected areas. The power industry regulator primarily mandated that “leniency” or “relaxation” to be accorded when it comes to the electricity bill payments of consumers in these domains.

“We direct the DUs (distribution utilities) to relax their collection policies to consumers in their franchise area, at least within the next two months, to give people time to recover from the effects of the typhoon,” ERC Chairperson Agnes T. Devanadera said.

Apart from the DUs, the ERC chief emphasized that “leniency” in bill collections shall be similarly applied by all the relevant stakeholders in the supply chain – including the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM), generation companies as well as the operator of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.

The ERC has also been demanding tangible and fast action on the restoration of electricity services in the disaster-hammered jurisdictions.

“We are reminding both the NGCP and the distribution utilities of their mandate for immediate restoration of lines and power supply to their consumers after the onslaught of typhoon Odette,” Devanadera stressed.

The ERC chief further asserted “we expect that all their efforts now are concentrated on ensuring that supply will be restored at the earliest possible time.”

The regulatory body indicated, in particular, that it required NGCP “to provide the Commission with the status and extent of its transmission lines restoration efforts in the aftermath of typhoon Odette.”

The ERC similarly apprised the regulated power utilities that “during force majeure events, the NGCP and affected distribution utilities, may immediately implement their capex (capital expenditure) projects for the restoration of power without seeking prior approval from the ERC,” and that is consistent with the prescriptions of the Rules for Setting Transmission Wheeling Rates (RTWR) as well as the Amended Rules for the Approval of Regulated Entities’ Capital Expenditure Projects.

Devanadera specified that the affected regulated power utilities may just subsequently “seek the ERC’s confirmation of the implementation of the capex projects arising from such (force majeure) event.”

The ERC further pointed out “since immediate reporting may hamper the restoration work, a force majeure event notice is only required within three (3) months from the occurrence of the force majeure.”

Devanadera further gave assurance to the public that “there are mechanisms in place that allow the concerned electric power stakeholder to immediately respond and address the electricity needs of those affected by force majeure events.”