Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday renewed her call to suspend any power rate hike until the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has provided a “clear explanation of a continued rising cost of electricity and the investigation on rotational blackouts has concluded.”
She issued the statement after the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) announced, on the fifth straight month, that its August rate will increase by P0.0965/kWh. This is equivalent to P19.00 for households that consume at least 200 kWh per month.
“Dapat ipatigil muna ang anumang dagdag-singil sa kuryente hangga’t walang klarong paliwanag ang ERC kung bakit patuloy na tumataas ang transmission charge na ipinapasa sa konsyumer,” Hontiveros said.
“Hindi biro ang limang buwang sunud-sunod na taas-singil. Bawat piso ay mahalaga ngayon lalo pa’t marami na naman ang hindi makapaghanapbuhay dahil sa panibagong lockdown, ” she added.
The higher transmission charges this month were due to higher ancillary services (AS) which jumped from P0.5992/kWh in July to P0.7323 this month, according to Meralco.
The senator recalled that, except for the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, agencies and other stakeholders have impressed upon the Senate that no upward movement in transmission charges was going to happen once AS is made firm from non-firm.
“Ang malaking tanong na dapat sagutin ng ERC at Department of Energy (DOE) ay permissible ba ang pagtaas na ito?” Hontiveros said.
Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)
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