ILOILO City — The city government has denied profiting from electricity charges imposed on public market vendors amid complaints of monthly bills reaching P760, insisting that stallholders are billed according to their consumption and that no markup is added to the power distributor’s charges.
Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO) head Maricel Mabaquiao said the city merely distributes the consolidated electricity bill from MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) among vendors based on individual submeter readings.
“We do not earn any profit from electricity charges. Whatever amount MORE Power bills us, based on the readings of their respective submeters, is exactly what the vendors pay,” Mabaquiao said.
The clarification followed complaints from vendors at Jaro Big Market who questioned electricity bills reaching P760 a month, particularly when they believed their actual consumption was below the minimum 28 kilowatt-hours (kWh) prescribed under LEEO guidelines.
Mabaquiao said each market stall is subject to a minimum monthly consumption of 28 kWh, with electricity payments generally ranging from P400 to P700, depending on prevailing power rates and applicable charges.
She explained that electricity rates fluctuate monthly because of changes in generation costs and other billing components imposed by MORE Power.
Vendors disputing their bills may request a breakdown of charges and verification of their submeter readings at the LEEO market administration office.
“If they have questions, they may visit the LEEO administration office so we can show them how their electricity charges are computed,” she said.
Mabaquiao also confirmed that delayed electricity payments incur a 25-percent surcharge and an additional two-percent interest under an existing city ordinance.
However, she said administrative expenses and electricity consumed in common areas have not yet been included in vendors’ bills, although existing policies allow such charges.
The same billing arrangement applies to other city-managed public markets./PN
