ERC halts power disconnections until year-end for typhoon-hit areas
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has ordered all distribution utilities (DUs) to suspend power line disconnections until the end of the year, following the devastation wrought by Typhoons “Tino” and “Uwan.”
In an advisory, the ERC stated that residential and non-residential customers in the captive market will not face electricity disconnections for nonpayment covering the billing period from Nov. 4 to Dec. 31.
ERC said the new orders halt aligns with Proclamation No. 1077, which declared a state of national calamity due to the impact of both major storms.
Power distributors must also provide flexible payment options to ease the financial burden on residents and businesses across their service areas.
“The DUs shall implement a payment scheme wherein consumers, with monthly consumption not exceeding 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh), are allowed to defer payment of their electricity bills for the covered billing period, and pay the same on a staggered basis for at least two months from the receipt of the electricity bill,” the ERC stated.
Consumers may be offered alternative payment terms, including cash, bank transfer, digital payment, or other mutually agreeable modes to ensure flexibility.
The ERC has also instructed other stakeholders to extend a more flexible settlement scheme.
This includes the generation companies (GenCos), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), National Power Corp. (NPC), National Transmission Corp. (TransCo)
National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and Market Operators (MOs)
DUs are required to segregate customers’ payments to accurately determine the amount to be settled with the respective GenCos, PSALM, NPC, TransCo, NGCP, IPPs, and MOs.
Furthermore, distributors are mandated to submit a compliance report within 30 days after the covered billing period to ensure transparency.
“Nothing in this advisory shall preclude a consumer from paying his or her electric bills for the covered billing period. Thus, consumers, who are able to pay their electric bills, are urged to pay the same,” the commission emphasized.