MANILA -- Meralco has finally clarified how it plans to implement the refund process for the P19.9 billion it overcharged customers over almost two years.

Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said refund will be prospective and the consumption from 2022-2024 will not be the basis in computing how much each customer will get.

The Energy Regulatory Commission has ordered Meralco to immediately implement the refund in the next billing cycle. 

In an earlier interview with former ERC Commissioner Alfredo Non, the interpretation of the refund is based on how much a consumer consumed from July 2022 to December 2024. Non's interpretation is the refund amount for consumers is already predetermined based on his consumption in the questioned period.

But Meralco said the refund will a straightforward prospective process of just multiplying the future consumption with P0.20/kwh for residential customers. For example, if the April bill says a consumer used 400kwh, multiplied by P0.20/kwh, the refund amount is P80.

SAN MIGUEL WANTS TO RECOVER P34 BILLION

Meanwhile, ERC Chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta has revealed that two San Miguel Corporation-owned power plants are asking ERC to recover P34 Billion for losses in supplying power to Meralco in 2022.

SMC plants questioned in court its fixed contract with Meralco amid rising coal prices in the world market in 2022. The ERC insisted that despite rising coal prices, both Meralco and the two SMC-owned plants stick with fixed contract.

But the Supreme Court eventually sided with SMC. As a result, it now asks ERC to authorize the recover of P34 billion. But ERC Chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta said the commission will still need to study the matter as this will certainly burden the consumers.

"What we can promise is we will still evaluate and scrutinize the petitions to make sure that only reasonable and justified costs are passed on and that Meralco complies with its least cost obligation. Ang bigat ng P34 billion," said Dimalanta in a text message.