Kulang P14B! Zarate demands additional P15-B refund from Meralco

By Billy Begas

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) should refund another P15.1 billion aside from the nearly P14 billion that the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) ordered to be returned to its customers.

House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said Meralco has an overcharging worth P29 billion from 2013 to 2018.

However, Zarate said ERC only ordered P13.9 billion for Meralco’s overcharging from 2015 to 2020.

“Huwag sana itong maging kaso na ibinigay ang mas maliit na refund para itago ang mas malaki pa na dapat ibalik sa mga konsyumer,” said Zarate.

Zarate said Bayan Muna and consumer watchdog Matuwid na Singil sa Kuryente (MSK) have discovered suspicious practices made by Meralco resulting in overcharging of its customers.

Based on MSK’s computation, Meralco’s distribution rate of P1.38 per kWh was arrived at based on a projection of that Meralco’s sales for 2013 would be 30 billion kWh.

MSK has questioned the basis of the computation then since Meralco’s annual report showed that it is already selling 34 billion kWh. By 2018, Meralco’s energy sale went up to 44 billion kWh.

Zarate said Meralco should also explain the P66 billion discrepancies in the quantity of power purchased Meralco reported to ERC and the purchases and sales reported in the official financial statements of Meralco to its stockholders.

“In the audit of the P66 billion discrepancy, it is to unravel the mystery, how can Meralco sell more power than it is buying? This requires validating the power delivery of their power suppliers and their actual billings for power supply to Meralco and the actual payments. These numbers can also be cross checked with the metering records of NGCP. We call on ERC to get to the bottom of this, so that consumers can be refunded of their money, if warranted, and for those responsible for this should be made accountable,” the solon said.

He said an audit should be conducted to the P4.05 billion premium payment made by Meralco to Quezon Power to assure its correctness.

“MSK had filed these complaints officially with the ERC for the last few months. Bayan Muna has also filed resolutions to probe these over charging issues against Meralco and other distribution utilities and we trust the ERC to use its regulatory powers to resolve these issues the soonest for the benefit of our already struggling consumers,” added Zarate.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)