Electricity consumers secured a regulatory victory after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approved a Meralco distribution rate nearly 37 percent below what the utility had requested.
In a decision announced over the weekend, the ERC approved a distribution rate of P1.48 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), compared with Meralco’s proposed P2.34 per kWh—a difference of 86 centavos.
The ruling followed the commission’s review of Meralco’s rate reset application covering its distribution operations. The approved amount concerns the distribution component of electricity bills, rather than the total electricity rate.
Consumer advocate and lawyer Lester Nazarene Ople welcomed the decision, highlighting the participation of consumer representatives in scrutinizing the application.
In a social media post, Ople said he was proud to have assisted and represented former ERC Commissioner Alfredo Non, who intervened in the proceedings.
Other participants included Pete Ilagan of the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms, Inc. (NASECORE), bringing consumer concerns into the regulatory review.
Consumer advocates also praised ERC Chairman Francis Saturnino Juan for addressing long-delayed regulatory backlogs while ensuring that consumers had a voice in the process.
The decision underscores the importance of public participation in rate-setting proceedings, where scrutiny of utility applications can directly influence the charges approved for electricity consumers.
