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[av_heading heading=’ Plaints vs PECO may reach ERC’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Monday, May 8, 2017
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ILOILO City – Complaints against Panay Electric Company (PECO) may soon be filed at the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
Not one from this city’s sole electricity distributor showed up at the inquiry conducted by the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s (SP) committee on transportation, energy and public utilities last week.
According to Councilor Joshua Alim, he will be helping consumers prepare their complaints mostly about alleged violations of the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers.
During the SP inquiry, consumers accused PECO of overbilling them.
PECO’s snubbing of the SP inquiry was a show of arrogance, said Alim.
“I am very disappointed and disgusted. It was the proper forum to hear the consumers’ concerns,” said Alim who recently called for a congressional inquiry against PECO.
It was Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog who pressed for an SP inquiry.
According to PECO corporate communications officer Mikel Afzelius, they were willing to address the consumers’ concerns but in the “proper forum.”
“PECO’s snub was a challenge to the mayor,” said Alim.
Councilor R Leone Gerochi as chairperson of the SP committee on transportation, energy and public utilities led last week’s inquiry.
Because PECO’s office personnel were so arrogant to entertain complaints, the SP inquiry could have been a good venue to hear the consumers, said Alim.
Aside from overbilling, consumers also criticized PECO’s electric meters, specifically their high placements that make them difficult to read.
Others complained about PECO’s slow reconnection process even after disconnected consumers have already paid their arrears.
PECO indicated readiness to answer should consumers seek succor with ERC.
“Amo gid man na proper movement for any consumer complaint. It is normal for anybody to raise concerns to the ERC kon my issue sila sa distribution utility,” said Afzelius.
He denied that PECO was being arrogant for not showing up at the SP inquiry last week.
“They requested for a third hearing on the same issue gihapon. There was no need for that anymore,” said Afzelius.
He recalled past hearings where PECO presented its programs to address the feedbacks from consumers.
If Afzelius were to be believed, “majority” of consumers’ concerns in the past were ironed out.
“Now, if there are still consumers nga wala ka-settle, we invite them to come sa office so we can hear them out one by one. We cannot assume that their concerns are all the same,” he said.
PECO wanted to address each concern “rather than everybody is there (in the SP inquiry) and we don’t know what each consumer’s specific concern is all about,” said Afzelius.
He also insinuated that there could be “personal agenda” in the SP inquiry.
“We want to protect consumers properly. We have to do it in the proper forum where we at least know it’s really for the consumers and not for anyone’s personal agenda,” said Afzelius.
Alim brushed off the insinuation.
“I am a politician. I am doing my job based on the complaints of the people I represent. I was chosen as their city councilor, I have to represent their cause. Where is the political motivation there?” said Alim.
Last month, PECO bared it was considering reforms in its systems to address erroneous billing, among other issues.
It may offer a long-term payment plan for accumulated bills and create a task force focusing on billing and meter reading concerns, said Vice President for Operation Randy Pastolero.
Under the payment plan, PECO consumers may settle accumulated bills in monthly installments without surcharges.
Disconnection of meters of all affected consumers will be suspended, said Pastolero.
On top of an existing verification team, the “task force for field verification” will immediately verify questionable billings and adjust billing errors, said Pastolero.
PECO may also partially implement an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) program wherein 1,000 units of “smart meters” will be initially installed.
Meter reading accuracy is an advantage of the smart meters. No manpower is required to read them, PECO said. Smart meters could be a “permanent solution” to billing issues, the company added.
“All readings are programmed to go directly to the computers of PECO without any actual meter readers needed on the field,” said Afzelius. “This eliminates the human factor in meter reading and customers can fully rely on the accuracy of the billing.”/PN
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