Sen. Gatchalian asks Meralco to incentivize online customers

Senate Energy Committee chairman Win Gatchalian criticized the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) after it announced that it will reimpose the 47-peso convenience fee for online transactions that it had waived during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). 

"The 47 peso convenience fee is a disincentive for consumers moving online. Why will Meralco resume collecting 47 pesos from every household when many of our ordinary kababayans have just returned to work trying to recover financial losses? This should not happen! The public has been inconvenienced enough," Gatchalian reiterated.

The senator urged the company to provide incentives to its customers who are transacting business online in order to promote staying home and reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. 

“Even with the easing of community quarantine, the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic remains and many customers may still be unable to visit business centers due to limited transportation,” the senator noted.

"We don't want other distribution utilities to get an idea in coming up with a similar setup, to the detriment of power consumers. We don't want to create undue stress to our consumers," he added.

Meralco earlier clarified that the P47 fee does not go to its coffers and that payments go through a payment gateway operated and maintained by an online third-party service provider.

Gatchalian meanwhile voiced support for the ERC issuance of a Show Cause Order against Meralco for not complying with its advisories by not clearly stating the word "estimate" on the consumer bill and that the installment payment should have been clearly explained to the consumers.

The senator also previously urged the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to look into fees being charged by third-party service providers and other matters concerning electricity bills to help consumers who are continuously facing financial difficulties because of the health crisis.