Utilities extend relief over water, power bills

Customers can expect lower charges, no cut-off notices in their power and water bills as utilities join relief agencies to lessen the damage in calamity-hit communities.

Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System said its two concessionaires—Manila Water and Maynilad—have agreed to provide uninterrupted supply to households amid the destruction caused by storm Ondoy and typhoon Pepeng.

In a statement, administrator Diosdado Jose Allado said the reprieve is meant for at least 3.2 million residents of the National Capital Region whose homes were destroyed along with their means of livelihood.

“Within the 30-day grace period, the customer must go to Manila Water or Maynilad offices to arrange for payment, which may be made in installments,” he said.

Not to be outdone, the Manila Electric Co. said lower generation charges this month for P0.11 per kilowatthour were in store due to lower prices in the wholesale electricity spot market and lower rates of independent power producers.

Vice president and utility economics head Ivanna de la Pena told reporters that generation charges dipped to P3.9011 this month from P4.0166 per kWh in September, the lowest since November 2004’s P4.57 per kWh.

“We are glad that in this period of severe difficulty for many of our customers, the trend of low electricity prices has been sustained. Compared with last April, this month’s generation charge is P1.12 per kWh lower,” he said.

He said a customer using 100 kWh per month would save P4.55 this month versus last month. A household consuming 200 kWh would have a bill P15.72 lower this month.

Rannie Habaluyas of Manila Water information office said the moratorium would cover September to October billings of some 80,000 household and semi-business customers in the cities of Pasig and Marikina along with Cainta, Taytay and San Mateo in Rizal.

“We are stretching the bill for six or 12 months,” he told Standard Today.

Maynilad said no disconnections would be made, but it gave no details.

Meralco has restored 99.1- percent supply in Ondoy-hit localities even as repair was being rushed to complete the distribution to other franchised areas, a statement said.

Ricardo Buencamino, executive vice president and head of networks group, said of over 4.62 million customers who had no lights starting Sept. 26, only about 41,000 customers have yet to be reconnected in Marikina, Cainta, Pasig, Taguig, and parts of Biñan and Muntinlupa. –Rio N. Araja and Alena Mae S. Flores, Manila Standard Today