Senator Rodante Marcoleta has filed a bill seeking to exempt households that consume 135 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or less of electricity each month from paying electric bills.

In filing the unnumbered bill, Marcoleta sought to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to expand and improve the government’s lifeline rate subsidy program to give more relief to low-income households struggling with high electricity costs in the Philippines, among the highest in Asia.

“Recognizing that access to electricity is essential for daily living and economic participation, this initiative will help reallocate funds to other basic commodities. This amendment addresses short-term financial hardships while promoting the long-term recovery and resilience of impacted households,” Marcoleta said in his explanatory note in the bill.

Specifically, Marcoleta’s bill seeks to amend Section 73 of the law. His amendment states: “All qualified marginalized end-users whose level of consumption of electricity is not more than one hundred thirty-five kilowatt-hours (135 kWh) per month shall be fully subsidized by the government.”

Marcoleta’s amendment raises the threshold for the subsidy to cover households consuming up to 135 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month, compared to the current limit of 100 kWh.

If enacted into law, Filipinos consuming 135kWh or less per month will be entitled to a full government subsidy.

In a statement, Marcoleta said “the current lifeline rate is too low and no longer reflects the realities faced by many poor households.”

The current lifeline rate system provides only discounts ranging from 20 percent to 100 percent on the electric bills of households consuming 100 kWh or less. However, to qualify for a full subsidy, a household must not exceed 20 kWh per month.

“The cap of 20kWh a month is barely enough to power a light bulb, a fan, and a small radio. Hindi ganitong klaseng tulong o subsidiya ang kailangan ng mga naghihirap nating kababayan. Kung tutulong tayo, tumulong tao nang buo,” Marcoleta said.

At current electricity rates, a 135 kWh monthly consumption translates to about P2,000, which means qualified households would save hundreds or even thousands of pesos on their monthly electricity bills if the measure is enacted into law, according to Marcoleta, a staunch advocate of lower electricity rates.

The proposed amendment strictly ties the subsidy to monthly electricity consumption, not to the final bill amount, which fluctuates depending on rates set by the power industry.

“This amendment is about fairness and social justice,” said Marcoleta.

“We cannot ignore the plight of millions of Filipino families who have to choose between paying for electricity and meeting their other basic needs,” he added.