New bill format set for public consultation
The new bill format proposed by the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) is scheduled for Public Consultation (PubCon) on 17 October 2006 (Tuesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 P.M.) at the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Hearing Room, 15th Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Ave., Pasig City.
“The new design of the MERALCO electric bill is in line with the minimum requirements prescribed by the ERC in Resolution No. 20, Series of 2005. The new design simplified the billing format without removing all the required information thereby making it a more effective communication tool for the consumers’ better understanding of their electric bills”, ERC Chairman Rodolfo B. Albano, Jr. said.
MERALCO’s new bill format is meant to optimize the space on the bill page, in anticipation of regulatory requirements to be added in the future. The significant changes in the physical dimensions and appearance of the MERALCO bill include: the reduction of paper size; enlargement of fonts and improved print quality; utilization of the back page for bill computation details; summary in table form of the current billing information and bill subtotal amounts; inclusion of graphics and customer-oriented tips and information; and the contact information for the Consumer Affairs Service of the ERC.
“The ERC urges the consumers to take the opportunity to proactively participate in the public consultation to ventilate their comments, concerns, and suggestions on the proposed new bill format to assist the ERC in promoting and protecting the long-term consumer interests through quality, reliability and reasonable pricing of a sustainable supply of electricity”, Chairman Albano concluded.
October 9, 2006