The authorities on Sunday introduced the roll out a “Lifeline Rate” program that may assist certified low-income households pay their electrical energy payments.
According to a Presidential Communications Office assertion, the Lifeline Rate was a backed fee given to certified low-income electrical energy prospects who’re unable to pay their electrical energy payments at full price.
Among the households who can apply for the Lifeline Rate program are the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or prospects thought-about to be residing beneath the poverty threshold set by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Only one Distribution Utility (DU)/Electric Cooperative (EC) service per certified family could be granted a lifeline fee.
In circumstances multiple beneficiary from the identical family applies for the lifeline fee utilizing the identical service account, just one utility can be granted the lifeline fee, with the opposite purposes disapproved.
Qualified beneficiaries might apply by submitting to the DU and EC their duly achieved Lifeline Rate Application Form, their most up-to-date electrical energy invoice, and any legitimate government-issued identification card containing the signature and handle of the shopper.
If the shopper lives beneath the PSA’s poverty threshold, she or he should submit a neighborhood Social Welfare and Development Office (SWDO) certification.
The certification ought to have been issued throughout the final six months, and it should present that the applicant’s household earnings was beneath the poverty threshold relevant on the time of his or her utility.
The energy discount fee varies relying on the prevailing charges of the DUs or ECs.
In the Meralco franchise space, lifeline end-users with zero to twenty kilowatt-hours (kWh) of month-to-month consumption will probably be granted a 100-percent low cost on the era fees, together with system loss, transmission, and distribution elements of their invoice, aside from the fastened metering cost of P5, which suggests they must pay, kind of, solely P20 for his or her electrical invoice.
If they don’t avail themselves of the Lifeline Rate by means of Meralco, they must shell out kind of P250.
Customers with 21-50 kWh utilization who apply for a Lifeline Rate will kind of solely pay P300 of their electrical payments. Otherwise, they must pay the undiscounted quantity of round P550, if they don’t apply for the Lifeline Rate.
Those with a 51-70 kWh consumption bracket who apply for a Lifeline Rate will solely be paying round P522.90 however can pay the undiscounted fee of P763.37 if they don’t apply for the Lifeline Rate.
Those with 71-100 kWh utilization who apply for the Lifeline Rate will solely pay P904.21 however can pay the undiscounted fee of P1,099.10 if they don’t apply for the Lifeline Rate.
The program roll-out was moved to September 2023 to provide certified prospects extra time to register.
Based on the information supplied by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), as of the tip of July 2023, solely 12,829 family beneficiaries of 4Ps out of the 4.2 million family members have utilized for the Lifeline Rate program.
The Lifeline Rate program validity relies on the annual licensed record of 4Ps beneficiaries supplied by the DSWD. A professional buyer is eligible to obtain the Lifeline Rate if he/she stays on the up to date record.
If delisted, the shopper might choose to use for a neighborhood SWDO certification if he/she resides beneath the poverty line and should reapply for the Lifeline Rate.
For non-4Ps beneficiaries, the Lifeline Rate could have a three-year validity from the date of issuance of certification by the native SWDO. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
