Philippine consumer group urges probe into Meralco billing, suspension of rate hikes

The Power for People Coalition (P4P), a national coalition of consumer groups, people's organizations, and civic movements advocating for clean, affordable, and accessible energy, on Tuesday urged the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to immediately investigate complaints of alleged anomalous electricity readings by the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), conduct a comprehensive audit of its billing practices, and impose appropriate sanctions for any violations that may be established. "Consumers deserve answers, not confusing bills, unexplained charges, and the constant threat of disconnection," said Leodegario “Ka Leody” De Guzman, president of Partido Lakas ng Masa, in a statement issued by P4P. "Families who have faithfully paid their bills should not be punished by questionable charges that they cannot verify or understand. The ERC must act in the interest of the ordinary consumer," he added. P4P, a national coalition of consumer groups, people’s organizations, and civic movements advocating for clean, affordable, and accessible energy, staged a protest on Tuesday at the ERC office in Pasig City calling for stronger regulatory action. Another rally was staged earlier at Meralco on Monday. The coalition said thousands of households have reported electricity bills that have doubled or even tripled in recent months despite little or no increase in their power consumption. With July electricity bills now being released, P4P warned that many Filipino families are again being forced to choose between paying their electricity bills and meeting other essential household expenses. "The ERC was created to protect the public interest. Consumers should not be treated as captive sources of revenue whenever fuel prices rise, or generation costs increase," said lawyer Aaron Pedrosa, secretary-general of activist group Sanlakas. Pedrosa said the burden of market inefficiencies and rising generation costs should not automatically be passed on to consumers already struggling with soaring food prices, stagnant wages, and the rising cost of living. "It is the height of cruelty to profit off the backs of ordinary working people in a time of continued crisis," he said. P4P campaigner Krishna Ariola also urged the ERC to extend its no-disconnection policy while the complaints are being investigated to prevent consumers from losing access to an essential public service. She also called on the commission to suspend electricity rate increases, citing the continuing impact of the global energy crisis and the country’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels. "With the current no-disconnection policy set to end next month, it is crucial for the ERC to consider extending it for several more months," Ariola said. "More importantly, the ERC should suspend all rate increases. The impact of the global energy crisis on our economy, compounded by our continued reliance on fossil fuels, has become so severe that suspending service disconnections alone is no longer enough to protect consumers," she added. P4P also urged the ERC to reject Meralco’s pending rate reset application, which is expected to be decided this quarter. Under Meralco’s proposal, the average distribution charge could increase by nearly P1 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), adding around P200 or more to the monthly electricity bills of many consumers. "If the rate reset application is approved as proposed, Meralco’s distribution charge would immediately increase by more than 73 percent. That should be rejected outright because the law explicitly requires electricity rates to comply with the least-cost principle," Pedrosa said. Earlier on Monday (July 13), the ERC had announced the adoption of a standardized reporting framework for transmission and ancillary service charges to improve transparency in electricity billing. Under Resolution No. 22, Series of 2026, all distribution utilities will be required to use a uniform reporting template for computing, monitoring, and reporting transmission and ancillary service charges. The ERC said the measure would strengthen regulatory oversight, improve compliance among distribution utilities, reduce inconsistencies in submitted reports, and streamline the review process. The new reporting framework will take effect beginning with the first billing cycle after July 16. The commission said the standardized system would enable regulators to more effectively validate transmission and ancillary service costs before these are passed on to consumers. Also on Monday, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson filed a resolution seeking a Senate inquiry into the continued increase in electricity rates and the “bill shock” experienced by consumers amid concerns over unexplained charges, alleged irregularities in meter readings, and system losses ultimately borne by paying customers. Lacson noted that while affordable and reliable electricity is essential to public welfare, national productivity, and economic development, residential electricity rates in the Philippines remain among the highest in Southeast Asia, placing a heavy financial burden on Filipino families, workers, and businesses. He also cited reports from Meralco customers who have experienced substantial and unexplained increases in their electricity bills in recent months./coa