MORE Power Iloilo suspended the service disconnection of consumers with arrears while Iloilo City is under Modified Enhance Community Quarantine (MECQ).
MORE Power made the decision to help ease the burden of consumers who are now restricted to their homes as part of efforts to curb the increase in COVID-19 cases.
“Sensitive to the concerns our customers are facing amid these challenging times, we are suspending all disconnection activities to legal consumers while Iloilo City is under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) to allow a period for relief and additional time for our customers to settle their bills,” MORE Power said in a statement.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and the National Inter-Agency Task Force imposed the MECQ classification on the city until June 15, 2021.
MORE Power said it will give 30-day grace period for bills between May 23 to June 15 and it will not impose surcharges if the consumers are delayed in their payments.
The disconnection will resume after the MECQ and if the consumer receive a Disconnection Notice.
MORE Power assured that it will reconnect the supply within 24 hours after the consumer has settled his or her arrears.
“Disconnection activities will only resume once the MECQ is lifted, except in areas classified under surgical or total lockdown even after the lifting of the MECQ. However, meter reading and bill delivery will continue throughout the MECQ period,” it added.
ESTIMATED BILLING
MORE Power also advised consumers that they will be charged with estimated consumption per kilowatt-hour, not their actual use, in June 2021.
The estimate-based charging is used in area under surgical or total lockdowns imposed by local governments due to rising COVID-19 cases, which prevents MORE Power meter readers from going around the area.
Estimated billing is allowed under the law and enforced by the Energy Regulatory Commission through its Distribution Services and Open Access Rules (DSOAR) which is based on the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001.
The estimate will be based on the average consumption of the customer in the past three months before the lockdown.
The bills marked “Estimated” will be delivered to the consumers once the lockdown is lifted.
Consumers who provided their email address to MORE Power will receive their bills in their inboxes based on their original billing schedule.
If the lockdown was imposed before the MECQ declaration on May 23, the consumer has 10 days to pay after receiving the bill.
A two percent (2%) surcharge will be imposed if the consumer fails to pay after the 10-day grace period but if the lockdown is still in force on the 10th day, the surcharge will be waived.
If the lockdown is lifted in the next billing period, MORE Power will resume with the meter reading for the actual consumption and deduct the estimated consumption and payment.
For bills before and after the MECQ period in areas that were not covered by lockdowns, the consumer must pay on the due date. Failure to do so will result in a 2% surcharge.
MORE Power will also refrain from disconnecting lines to households and area under surgical or total lockdown even after the MECQ.
PAYMENT PARTNERS
MORE Power sad consumers can pay their bills during the MECQ period through third party payment partner centers or branches – BDO, PNB, Landbank, Robinsons Bank, Queenbank, Ok Bank, Metrobank, Union Bank, Palawan Pawnshop, RD Pawnshop, LBC, and SM Payment Center.
Payments can also be made with online banking services of BDO, PNB, Robinsons Bank, Landbank, Metrobank and Dragon Pay online.
Starting June 2, 2021, MORE Power temporarily closed its Customer Services Office (CASHIER ONLY) in Hotel Del Rio for disinfection.
