ERC Extends No-Disconnection Policy for Electric Bills Until October

MANILA, Philippines — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has extended the "no-disconnection" and installment payment options for unpaid electric bills for three more months, or until October 2026. The ERC released an advisory on Thursday, July 16, directing all distribution utilities nationwide to suspend electric service disconnections for residential and non-residential customers with unpaid bills from August to October. The agency has also instructed distributors to implement installment and deferred payment schemes for consumers with a monthly electricity consumption of not more than 200 kilowatt-hours for at least three months upon receipt of the bill. “Payment may be spread over three months, with installments reflected in subsequent billing statements,” the agency’s advisory read. The extension of the directive is in line with the State of National Energy Emergency declared in March due to the conflict in West Asia following the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran in February. The no-disconnection and installment payment policy was first implemented in May and covered bills from May to July. Meanwhile, ERC Chairperson Francis Saturnino Juan said the extension was also a response to consumer complaints about the sudden spike in electricity bills. “Kaya tuloy-tuloy pa rin iiral yung ating direktiba na wala munang putulan para sa lahat ng ating mga residential customers, lalo ngayon na may tensyon muli sa Middle East,” Juan said in an interview with dzBB on Thursday morning, July 16. The ERC also ordered generation companies, Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., National Power Corp., National Transmission Corp., National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, independent power producers, independent power producer administrators and market operators to extend the same payment schemes to distribution utilities.