Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 24)— Power distributor Manila Electric Company (Meralco) on Monday said it will defer until the end of October the disconnection of power lines of customers who have unpaid electricity bills amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The development was announced by Meralco President and CEO Ray Espinosa during the House committee on good government and public accountability’s hearing on high power bills during the community quarantine period.
Meralco previously gave customers a grace period of until September 30 to settle unpaid balances— before handing out disconnection notices.
The company earlier faced thousands of consumer complaints about bloated electricity bills from March to May, which it attributed to consumption estimates after meter reading activities were halted. Meralco also encourages online bill payments to limit interactions and prevent possible virus transmissions.
The power distributor’s franchise area covers Metro Manila, the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, and Cavite, as well as parts of Laguna, Quezon, Batangas, and Pampanga.
CNN Philippines Correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report.
JUST IN: Meralco defers disconnection of consumer power lines due to non-payment to October 31, President and CEO Ray Espinosa announces. Grace period was supposed to end on September 30 | @xianneangel pic.twitter.com/vsY0rXfdTi
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) August 24, 2020
