ILOILO City – In a historic first, MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) has started refunding the bill deposits of qualified consumers – those who have paid their bills religiously for 36 months.
“Bihirang-bihira po for any distribution utility (DU) to return the deposit bill at the instance of the DU itself,” said Commissioner Alexis Lumbatan of the Energy Regulatory Commission.
In a landmark ceremony yesterday, three eligible households received refunds of their bill deposits from MORE Power president and chief executive officer Roel Castro at the power firm’s corporate office here. Lumbatan was the special guest.
“I am so happy taking part in a great milestone. Mismong si distribution utility ang tumatawag sa consumers to return the bill deposit,” said Lumbatan, ERC’s Oversight Commissioner for Consumers.
The Magna Carta for Residential Consumers mandates bill deposit refunds.
“Consumer’s concerns and consumer’s affairs should be the heart of power distribution utilities. I am happy that MORE Power has breathed life to Article 7 of the Magna Carta,” said Lumbatan.
Baby Jean Alamida Agustin, 36, of Barangay South Baluarte, Molo district welcomed the refund she received – P2,500. She said she was surprised to receive a call from MORE Power informing her that she was eligible to get a refund.
Agustin was among the first batch of over 30,000 power consumers who applied for connection with MORE Power when the latter started its operation three years ago. She said she was aware of the bill deposit refund because it was explained to her when she applied for electricity connection. She made sure to pay her bill on time.
Atty. Eldrid Antiquiera of local civil society group Grupo Konsumedor said the refund ceremony yesterday was historic.
“This is the first time in the history of the city and province of Iloio that we have a return of bill deposit. This never happened before,” he stressed.
Castro said MORE Power’s bill deposit refund initiative is not only in compliance of the Magna Carta for Residential Consumers but is consistent with their customer-focused service.
“Even if the customer does not ask for it, we go out of our way to inform the customer that this is due him,” he emphasized.
For this year, MORE Power projects its bill deposit refunds to reach over P5 million.
“This is really going to be ordinary for us. After all, this is hard-earned money of the customers. That’s one side of it. The other side is that we are following the law. The magna carta says we have to return the bill deposits,” said Castro./PN
