Nobody does it better

INDEED, when it comes to setting the standard among power distribution utility companies in the country, not only in words but most importantly in deeds as a good corporate citizen, nobody does it better than MORE Power.

The excellent customer relations and service, ongoing modernization and upgrading of power distribution facilities have actually become commonplace to the natives of “I Am Iloilo City”, so much so that the brand of excellent service of MORE Power has become the norm in Iloilo City.

Of course, I can’t say the same for Bacolod City under its current power distribution utility. Not to worry though; there’s light literally after darkness.

MORE Power actually started refunding the bill deposit of qualified customers, the first and only power distribution utility to do so in almost a century in Iloilo City and the country.

In what could only be described as a historic first, MORE Power has started refunding the bill deposits of qualified consumers – those who have paid their bills religiously for 36 months in compliance to Article 7 of the Magna Carta for Residential Consumers which mandates bill deposit refunds to consumers who have paid their electric bills religiously and on time for three years.

The first three eligible households made history when they received refunds of their bill deposits from MORE Power president and chief executive officer Roel Castro at the power firm’s corporate office.

Of course, Energy Regulatory Commission chairman Atty. Monalisa Dimalanta heaped praises on MORE Electric and Power Corporation’s bill deposit refund initiative and lower power rates, saying: “We encourage this culture of accountability among the regulated entities as demonstrated by MORE Power.”

Other distribution utilities (DUs) should follow MORE Power, she added.

Take note that for this year, MORE Power has already projected its bill deposit refunds to reach over P5 million.

Moving on, the bill deposit refund is now on its third batch of eligible MORE Power consumers. Sixty-five more eligible consumers received their bill deposit refunds.

The refund ceremonies were done on Aug. 3 at the MORE Power Corporate Office with Castro and Dimalanta.

According to Castro, they expect to refund 1,000 more qualified customers this year.

Here are excerpts from the keynote address of Dimalanta which probably best sums up the affair:

“Because you did your part as consumers and paid your bills on time, the utility respected the law which required the return of the deposit if paid on time; my point is shared responsibilities yield mutual rewards.

“We in government won’t have a hard time to enforce because the utilities follow and because the consumers pay on time, and the consumers get their money (deposit) back.

“Thank you for inspiring us and giving us a sneak preview of what it looks like if everything works as it should.”

ERC Commissioner Dimalanta emphasized the importance of having an efficient and service-oriented power utility because this motivates consumers to take responsibility, too.

She said: “Imagine if distribution utilities work as they should. There are less outages or in fact no outages. When you call because you have a concern, they’re there at your doorstep immediately. And if you ask for a refund, they give you back your deposit.”

To think that after almost a century it took a MORE Power to set the standard on how a power distribution company should be as good corporate citizen; to be there to sincerely provide service to its consumers and not to bleed them dry while doing business.

As MORE Power president Roel Castro said, “Our objective when we took over was to give each and every consumer equitable service.”

Well played, indeed, Nong Moroy./PN