No disconnection for Albay residents with low power consumption

THE ALBAY  Power and Energy Corp. (APEC) will strictly enforce the “no disconnection policy” until December 31 on clients whose electricity consumption is 200 kilowatts-per-hour (kWh) or less. 

In an interview on Friday, APEC spokesperson Lesley Capus said this complies with the Energy Regulatory Commission's (ERC) order according to the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).

Acknowledging that the policy could affect APEC's operations, Capus said their compliance with the order would also ease the burden of consumers having financial difficulties due to the pandemic.

“APEC is duty-bound to strictly enforce this no disconnection policy to also help our consumers with minimal electricity consumption,” he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Consumers who use up 200 kWh or less are those from remote areas and island villages, Capus said, noting that barangay power associations comprise roughly 50 percent of the 202,796 total APEC consumer accounts.

“Because our 200-kWh and below consumers represent about 50 percent of our total consumer accounts, this will really affect the cash flow of APEC,” he added.

Meanwhile, APEC has immediately implemented the six-month installment payment of electric bills for all residential and commercial consumers that would end this November.

“APEC allows our consumers to spread payments of their bills into a six-month period. Meaning they can pay their bills in six months’ duration,” Capus said, noting that this scheme is longer by two months compared to the ERC mandate of four months.

He, however, enjoined consumers who are financially capable to pay their bills on time to cushion the impact of the "no-disconnection policy" on the firm.

Through this, Capus said, the firm would be able to upgrade its facilities and further reduce system losses that range from 17 percent to 19 percent. (By Samuel Toledo)