The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has issued an advisory directing distribution utilities (DUs) to suspend disconnection activities and offer flexible payment options to consumers in areas declared under a state of calamity.
These are consumers affected by Severe Tropical Storm Crising, Tropical Storm Dante, Typhoon Emong, and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon.
The advisory covers the billing period from July 19 to Aug. 31, 2025.
Consumers with a monthly consumption of 100 kilowatthour or less may defer payments and settle their bills on a staggered basis over a period not exceeding three months.
“Affected consumers are encouraged to contact their respective DUs for specific payment terms or alternative arrangements,” the ERC said. The DUs may offer other payment terms, provided they are mutually agreeable to both the utility and the consumer.
The ERC also instructed generators, the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., the National Power Corporation, the National Transmission Corporation, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, and independent power producers to extend the same payment schemes to the DUs. This applies only to collections from affected consumers.
The regulator noted that DUs must segregate the amounts paid by affected consumers to determine the staggered payments due to generators and other providers.
The ERC encouraged consumers who are able to pay their bills to do so.
