By Teofilo Garcia Jr.
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has extended the suspension of electricity disconnections for November and December for consumers whose monthly electricity consumption does not exceed 200 kilowatt-hours (kWh), an electric coop official said here Thursday.
Lawyer Rommel Agan, chief management officer of the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco), said in a statement that the ERC’s order provides a sigh of relief to Zamcelco’s low-consumption clients.
Aside from Zamcelco, the ERC order covers all other electric cooperatives in the country.
Under the latest ERC advisory, residential consumers who exceed the 200-kWh monthly threshold will no longer be covered by the disconnection moratorium and may face disconnection for unpaid bills, subject to applicable rules.
Agan said the latest advisory follows earlier ERC directives that ordered electric cooperatives and distribution utilities to suspend disconnections for unpaid bills from May to July, later extended to bills from August to October.
“The ERC also set extended payment deadlines for consumers with outstanding bills from the earlier moratorium periods,” Agan said.
He said consumers with unpaid bills covering May to July have until Nov. 26 to settle their accounts.
Those who fail to pay by the deadline may face disconnection starting Nov. 27.
Meanwhile, Agan said consumers with unpaid bills covering August to October have until Dec. 26 to settle their accounts.
Failure to pay may result in disconnection starting Dec. 27.
Agan said the ERC had also allowed eligible consumers with monthly consumption of no more than 200 kWh to pay their electricity bills in three monthly installments, easing the burden on households struggling to meet their obligations.
He said the latest advisory distinguishes the temporary protection granted during earlier moratorium periods from the coverage for November and December, which is now limited to residential consumers using no more than 200 kWh per month.
He advised the more than 130,000 consumers in the city’s 90 of 98 villages to coordinate with Zamcelco to confirm their outstanding balances, payment arrangements, and applicable disconnection schedules.
The Zamboanga del Sur Electric Cooperative 2 (Zamcelco 2) serves electricity to the eight remaining villages on the city’s outskirts. (PNA)
