Cusi asks energy companies to be more considerate

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Thursday encourages energy players to be more considerate to consumers during the pandemic as he welcomed the move of Manila Electric Co. to extend its ‘no-disconnection’ policy for non-payment of bills from Dec. 31, 2020 to Jan. 31, 2021.

“I encourage all other players in the energy sector to be magnanimous and considerate in light of the challenges brought about by the pandemic,” Cusi said.

Cusi lauded House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco for requesting to extend Meralco’s no disconnection policy for non-payment of bills during the holiday season.

The House leader earlier wrote a letter to Meralco president Ray Espinosa, requesting the utility giant to extend the no-disconnection policy for the entire Christmas season and until the end of January 2021.

Velasco said extending the no-disconnection period would help ease the burden of Meralco customers grappling with the challenges posed by the pandemic.

“We appreciate that Meralco had extended the same courtesy during the height of the nationwide lockdown, and we expect that the company will be as considerate this yuletide season,” Velasco said in his Nov. 30 letter.

Espinosa, in his response, agreed to Velasco’s request for the extension after “careful evaluation and in consideration.”

Espinosa said the extended grace period would benefit more than 3 million Meralco customers with consumption of 200 kilowatts per hour and below during the billing month of December.

The number represents around 47 percent of Meralco’s total customer base, according to Espinosa.

Velasco said Meralco’s move was very welcome in keeping with the spirit of bayanihan amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The extended grace period being given to our fellow Filipinos during the holiday season will provide much-needed reprieve to those reeling from the devastating effects of the pandemic and natural calamities,” Velasco said.

“This good gesture on the part of Meralco will go a long way in helping our kababayans feel secure this Christmas,” he said.

Velasco thanked Espinosa for “showing true bayanihan spirit and empathizing with the plight of our indigent countrymen.”

“This is how we overcome the devastating effects of this pandemic, with leaders from both private and public sectors working together to make lives better,” Velasco said.