Consumers urged: Mark electric bills with ‘paid under protest’

Consumers can at least show their displeasure with the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco)’s higher power rates by stamping their bills with “Paid under Protest." The suggestion came from militant party list group Anakpawis, which also plans to mount protest actions against Merlaco for saddling consumers with higher rates amid rotational brownouts. "It is one of the many ways by which the public can show disgust over Meralco’s heartless profiteering at a time when on-and-off power supply and rising prices hound consumers. The power rate hike is simply too much," Anakpawis Rep. Joel Maglunsod said on the website of Kilusang Mayo Uno. He said the new power rate hike can lead to electricity disconnection in many poor households, contrasting Meralco’s tagline “May liwanag ang buhay (There is light to life)." “More than just rotating brownouts, permanent darkness looms for poor families who cannot bear the added burden of paying doubled electricity bills," he added. According to him, poor households consuming an average of 200 kWh monthly, which comprise a third of Meralco’s consumers, will pay an extra P240 this month, even as wage levels are stuck since 2008. On the other hand, he said, a price increase of market goods is also on the horizon as businesses cite higher bills due to Meralco’s rate hike. Starting April, Meralco was allowed to hike distribution charges by 26.47 centavos per kWh despite being forced to implement a series of scheduled brownouts after a power supply shortfall. [See: Meralco's profit more than doubles on rate hike, energy sales rise] — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV