Bong Espiritu of the Philippine Violators, a long-time punk band, laments the cost of electricity even if his other house is not occupied.

“Never I complained because I’m not overacting and even until now I forgive and understand what I do, but MERALCO (the utility company mostly operating in Metro Manila) during three weeks in July, there wasn’t anyone in my house in Cavite (a nearby city) all of us are in Manila, we were charged Php3,225 (US$51). The Filipino masses are suffering, you are making things worse. I don’t know if I got it wrong or I guessed because they got used to toying with the surcharges, from Php3,000 to Php5,000 but it’s injustice. Do your job!”

    • TreczoksEnglish
      3·
      3 days ago

      “Universal Charges” and “Other Charges”. I’d ask what they are for and why they think they should apply to this bill.

      • lechekaflanOPEnglish
        3·
        4 days ago

        Quoting the corporation in question:

        The Universal Charges are mandated by the government (Congress and ERC) to cover the following:

        Missionary Electrification: funds electricity service in remote or off-grid communities that are not connected to the national grid transmission system, and are difficult or costly to serve Environmental Charge: a fixed charge of P0.0025/kWh, used for watershed rehabilitation and management NPC stranded debts: covers the unpaid financial obligations of the National Power Corporation

        Meralco serves as a collector of these pass-through charges but does not earn from it. This is implemented not just by Meralco, but by all distribution utilities and electric cooperatives nationwide. This charge is remitted to the Power Sector Asset and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corp.

        This is not a new charge. Meralco has been collecting this since 2003.

        https://www.meralco.com.ph/residential/billing-payment/understanding-your-bill/bill-breakdown-faqs

        The horrible truth is that this country has one of the costliest electricity bills in the world due to over-reliance on fossil power generation, and efforts are being done to reduce that cost, such as building more solar panel arrays and wind farms. That despite some opposition from certain sectors, there is heightened interest in nuclear energy as an option.

        • TreczoksEnglish
          1·
          3 days ago

          Thanks. Those charges looked like the typical bogus charges from greedy corporations, like fees for being able to use the toilet on a plane.