Meralco calls on ‘lifeline’ consumers to register

MANILA ELECTRIC Co. (Meralco) urged qualified consumers to register under the lifeline rate program, warning that discounts will not be provided to unregistered beneficiaries starting next month.

“Starting September 2023, only customers with approved applications will continue to enjoy the discount in accordance with the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 11552 or the law extending and enhancing the implementation of the lifeline rate,” Meralco said in a statement on Thursday.

Joe R. Zaldarriaga, Meralco vice-president and head of corporate communications, said the company continues to seek ways to encourage more customers to apply for the lifeline rate program.

“While we have already engaged all local social welfare development offices or SWDOs in our franchise area, we will continue to reach out to more customers and we hope that the on-site applications will lead to the increase in the number of program beneficiaries,” Mr. Zaldarriaga said.

Meralco has set on-site applications and caravans in several areas like Caloocan, Las Piñas, Manila, Parañaque, Quezon City, and Valenzuela to help consumers enroll in the program.

It said qualified customers can also apply through the Meralco Business Center by bringing a completed application form, their latest electricity bill, and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) identification.

For non-4Ps beneficiaries, a local SWDO certification and government ID will be required, Meralco said.

In an earlier release, the Department of Energy (DoE) said only consumers who registered will continue to enjoy a reduction in their electricity bills starting this month.

Luningning G. Baltazar, director of the Electric Power Industry Management Bureau, said that based on revised guidelines, only those under the poverty threshold will be given subsidies in the lifeline rate program.

“Lifeline rate is not new, based on our historical data almost 6 million avail life rate, which includes 4Ps and those that are not marginalized that are able to pay,” Ms. Baltazar said in a Laging Handa briefing.

She added that based on the revised guidelines, targeted beneficiaries are also those in the poverty threshold, which is estimated at 4.2 million consumers.

“Estimated beneficiaries based on the 4Ps are about 4.2 million. As of July 31 registration data only 12,900 registered nationwide,” Ms. Baltazar said.

The lifeline rate is a subsidy provided to customers with a monthly power consumption of 100 kilowatt-hours or less.

In June, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) together with the DoE and the Department of Social Welfare and Development issued an advisory mandating all distribution utilities to implement the revised rules on the lifeline rate.

According to the revised rules, customers living in condominiums, subdivisions, and those with net-metering services are no longer qualified for the lifeline rate despite having lower consumption.

Customers who are considered qualified to avail the lifeline rate will be provided a percentage discount ranging from 20% to 100%, depending on their power consumption.

Further, Ms. Baltazar said the DoE will not set a deadline for registration but advised that only those who avail will be entitled to a discount, which will reflect in their September electricity bills.

“The availment is subject to registration. If still by August qualified consumers failed to register, their September or October bills will not reflect the discount. But since the program is until 2051, registration is ongoing,” Ms. Baltazar said.

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Ashley Erika O. Jose