Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi asked Manila Electric Co. to explain the P47 convenience fee it charges to online payment platforms.
“We would like your company to explain to us immediately the rationale of your payment scheme and confirm if the above information is correct and approved by management,” Cusi said in a letter to Meralco president Ray Espinosa dated May 14.
Cusi said the department had been receiving reports that the power retailer’s system obliges the paying customers to depart from existing payment arrangements, such as through banks, and and go through the app where they have to pay a convenience fee of P47 per transaction.
Cusi said the department recognized the efforts of Meralco to help consumers settle their power bills more conveniently through the launch of an app, but the fee was an additional burden to consumers.
