Iloilo’s MORE Power says P1.5M in bill deposits refunded to 476 customers
MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power), a distribution utility in Iloilo City, announced on Monday that it has refunded a total of P1.5 million in bill deposit refunds to 476 customers.
“We are committed to ensuring that all eligible customers are aware of their entitlement to a bill deposit refund,” Ma. Cristina D. Cabalhin, MORE Power’s vice-president for customer care, said in a statement.
Under the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers, the Energy Regulatory Commission mandates all distribution utilities to refund the bill deposit of their customers who have paid their electric bills on time for three years and have no service disconnection record.
MORE Power said that “approximately close to a thousand customers” are eligible, yet not all have initiated the process.
“To bridge this gap, proactive measures have been implemented, including the inclusion of a notification in customers’ Statements of Account or Spot Bill,” the company said.
The company also said it has been reminding eligible customers through calls and text messages of their entitlement.
Ineligible customers who have not met the criteria for refund eligibility can still receive their bill deposit upon termination of their electric service, with an annual interest rate, the company said.
For March, the company hiked power rates by P0.06 per kilowatt hour (kWh) to P10.0316 per kWh for residential customers, driven by the increase in transmission charges. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera