Household consumers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) can heave a sigh of relief as the company has extended its no-disconnection policy until the end of January 2021, House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said Sunday.
In a statement, Velasco said the company informed him about the extension in a letter last December 14 following a “careful evaluation and in consideration” of his appeal to extend the firm’s no-disconnection policy to help Filipinos cope with the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.
Velasco earlier wrote to Meralco President Ray Espinosa requesting the utility giant to extend the no-disconnection policy for the entire Christmas season until the end of January 2021.
Velasco argued in his letter last November 30 that the “no-disconnection period would help ease the burden of Meralco customers grappling with the challenges posed by the pandemic.”
“The extended grace period being given to our fellow Filipinos during the holiday season will provide much needed reprieve to those reeling from the devastating effects of the pandemic and natural calamities,” he said.
“This good gesture on the part of Meralco will go a long way in helping our kababayans feel secure this Christmas.”
Citing Espinosa, Velasco said the extended grace period would benefit more than 3 million Meralco customers with consumption of 200 kilowatt per hour and below during the billing month of December 2020.
The number represents around 47 percent of Meralco’s total customer base, Espinosa was quoted as saying in the statement.
“This is how we overcome the devastating effects of this pandemic, with leaders from both private and public sectors working together to make lives better,” Velasco said.
Meralco serves Metro Manila, where it is the sole electricity distributor, as well as some nearby provinces, like Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon. It has 7 million customers.