The Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc. (PHILRECA) reiterated its request to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to release complete information on consumer complaints lodged against some electric cooperatives (ECs).
PHILRECA Executive Director and General Manager Janeene Depay-Colingan pointed out that full disclosure is necessary for properly addressing consumer complaints. So far, the only information provided by the regulatory body was that there were 52 complaints involving 34 ECs.
“We are still waiting for the Commission to provide us with the details.”
Majority of these complaints were presumably about high billing and related concerns, technical concerns like power interruptions, administrative or institutional like service application requirements, and concern on Solar Para sa Bayan’s excessive cost of electricity.
“As regards high billing, electric cooperatives have been continuously doing information campaign as to why most of the consumers probably experienced increases in their billing/consumption. In addition to the quarantine restrictions that happened during the months of March until now, these past few months are historically the period when consumption increases due to the summer season,” Depay-Colingan said.
While the ECs involved were already informed of the complaints filed against them, the PHILRECA official said that full details are still needed so they can properly assess and address those concerns.
“We are still waiting for the Commission to provide us with the details,” she said.
Meanwhile, PHILRECA president and Party-list Rep. Presley De Jesus assured that the association remains a staunch supporter and partner of the government in pursuing the country’s total electrification.
“PHILRECA will always be a staunch partner of the government.”
“PHILRECA, together with the 121 electric cooperatives operating nationwide, will always be a staunch partner of the government in pushing for sustainable development through genuine and total rural electrification,” De Jesus said.
The organization earlier requested the ERC to provide them the details of the around 50,000 consumer complaints against distribution utilities over spikes in electricity bills during the enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other parts of the country.