The TRO was issued by the high court on December 23 due to the very high P4.15-per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) hike. Oral arguments on the matter will be done on the 21st of January.
The 4.15/kWh rate increase is divided into the following: P3.44/kWh generation charge adjustment, P0.04/kWh transmission charge, P0.033/kWh taxes and P0.34 other charges.
Letters have been sent to all Meralco customers instructing them to pay the amount they were billed in November 2013. The letter signed by Meralco senior vice president and head of Customer Retail Services and Corporate Communication says “In compliance with the TRO issued by the Supreme Court on Dec. 23, we advise you to temporarily set aside your December 2013 bill. We instead advice you to pay the amount equivalent to your November 2013 within 10-calendar days from receipt of this letter.”
According to Meralco, almost 70% of its consumers already received the bill when the TRO was issued. Even worse, 30% have already paid their bills. Those who have already paid don’t need to worry because Meralco promised to make the necessary adjustments.