As Meralco customers gear up for an increase in power rates this July, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) should ensure consumers will not experience any irregularities in their electricity bills.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian made the appeal as he also urged the ERC to make sure that Meralco will implement staggered increases of electricity rate hikes to shield consumers from price shocks.

“The recent announcement by Meralco of an electricity rate hike for the July billing cycle presents a heavy financial distress for millions of Filipino households and small business owners,” Gatchalian said.

“Stringent ERC oversight is necessary to ensure that Meralco’s distribution charges are accurate and fair and that consumers are not charged arbitrarily,” he said.

The Senate chief also said the ERC should actively monitor Meralco and other generation companies and ensure they are implementing staggered payment.

"Electricity is a basic necessity, so Meralco and other stakeholders must consider not only their interests but, above all, the welfare of consumers,” he said. 

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, sought a Senate inquiry into the “ironically unfair” consumer protection policies of the ERC following reports of erroneous electricity billings due to wrong meter readings.

Hontiveros filed Senate Resolution No. 509 which seeks to determine whether Republic Act No. 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), and the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers provide sufficiet protection for households that have, for several months, raised concerns over irregular electricity bills caused by wrong meter readings.

“ERC has a mandate to protect electricity consumers, but some of its current policies may be placing the burden on the very people it is supposed to protect. We need to look into these policies and update all of these if necessary,” Hontiveros said.

She noted that the issue has become more urgent at this time, considering that since February, power rates have increased several times, including this month’s P0.3428 per kilowatt-hour in generation charges, further adding to the financial strain on Filipino households. 

“It is unacceptable that while consumers are struggling to correct incorrect billing statements, we are also the ones being hit with successive increases in electricity bills,” the lawmaker noted.

“If there are policies that put them at a disadvantage, it is time to review and reform them to ensure that they are fair and truly pro-consumer,” she stressed.