Photo courtesy of Senator Win Gatchalian/Facebook.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to implement electricity rate increases in stages to ease the burden on consumers.
The ERC had announced that the full impact of the Middle East conflict on power bills will be felt in April and May, during the hot dry season.
Gatchalian, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, said regulators must closely monitor rates and prevent sudden, large hikes that could strain household finances.
“The electricity sector is a regulated industry, and the ERC should not allow sudden, big increases in electricity rates. Now is the worst time to raise electricity costs,” he said Friday.
He also called on the commission to ensure that all adjustments are justified and to avoid unwarranted increases in consumer bills.
Power distributor Meralco earlier reported an increase of P0.6427 per kilowatt-hour for March, bringing the typical household rate to P13.8161 per kWh from P13.1734 per kWh in February.
The adjustment translates to roughly P129 more for a household consuming 200 kWh per month.
Gatchalian emphasized that phasing in the rate hikes can help mitigate the financial impact of rising fuel costs and ongoing geopolitical tensions.
