ERC studying viability of introducing prepaid electricity-metering services

By Paul A. Isla

HOPING to give consumers a way to control over the electric consumption, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is looking at coming up with rules that will kick off the offering of prepaid electricity-metering services in the country.

“We earlier went to South Africa to look at their prepaid metering services,” Rodolfo Albano Jr., ERC chairman, said.

The chief regulator said the commission will be issuing the rules for prepaid electricity-metering services soon.

“It will be similar to the mobile phones. But we still have to study and evaluate the prepaid electricity-metering system,” said Albano.

He added that they also want to assure that the prepaid meters, should it be launched in the country, will have a sort of a warning device that will inform users on their outstanding balance or credits.

Albano said South Africa is one of the countries that have been known to have this kind of technology.

Albano said the prepaid electricity-metering scheme will reduce the rates of electricity in some sense, since there will be fewer employees to be employed by utilities.

Albano pointed out that consumers will also be able to control their electricity consumption. “But initially, the scheme will entail some cost, considering that this will require a different set of meter so the gestation period will be costly,” he added. 

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) earlier said it is reviewing its earlier plans of offering prepaid electricity service in order to make electricity more accessible to customers, particularly those with low consumptions and to the marginalized sector of the society and hoping to reduce pilferages within its franchise area.

“In view of the technological advancements and cost-efficient systems already available in the market, we plan to revisit our plans to offer prepaid electricity service to make electricity much accessible to the critical mass and help address incidences of pilferage in our franchise area,” a source, who was privy to the issue, earlier told the BusinessMirror.

The earlier results of our feasibility study before, according to the source, deemed Meralco to put its plan to look for more cost-effective solutions for its customers.

Oil companies raise prices of diesel, kerosene gasoline and LPG

MOTORISTS will again have to rethink their budgets when they refill their fuel tanks, as oil companies have adjusted the price of diesel and kerosene by P2 per liter, gasoline by P1/liter and P1.50 per kilo for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Bizmen to ask government to allow regional chambers to take part in IRA allocation

FILIPINO businessmen will petition the government to allow the different regional business chambers throughout the country to participate in the allocation of the internal revenue allotments (IRAs) given to local government units (LGUs).

RP sets temporary ban on poultry, wild birds from Arkansas, UK, Haiti

THE Philippines imposed a temporary ban on the importation of poultry products, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and wild birds, from the United Kingdom, Haiti and Arkansas, United States, following the detection of the avian influenza (AI) in their farms.

ERC studying viability of introducing prepaid electricity-metering services

HOPING to give consumers a way to control over the electric consumption, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is looking at coming up with rules that will kick off the offering of prepaid electricity-metering services in the country.

ERC decides to make use of Napocor time-of-use rates during WESM’s 3rd and 4th month of operations

INSTEAD of having consumers pay for higher market settlement, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) directed the implementation of the National Power Corp.’s (Napocor) time-of-use (TOU) rates for the third and fourth billing periods of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

Mandaue mayor says his city has regained confidence of traders

MANDAUE City Mayor Jonas Cortes on Friday reported to the city council that the city has already regained the confidence of businessmen as the administration continues to clean up the city’s reputation as one of the hardest to start a business in.

Atienza cites Singapore’s sanitary landfill as model waste facility

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Lito Atienza is calling for the establishment and sound management of landfills as he pushes for the closure of all open dumps which, he said, continue to pose risk to people’s health and the environment.