Wait for rules may delay seniors’ power discount

THOUSANDS of senior citizens in Cebu City will have to wait, possibly until next year, for discounts in their water and electricity bills.

The City Council asked a power distributor and other utilities to implement Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens’ Act of 2010, particularly the granting of discounts in the electricity and water bills of seniors.

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But power distributor Visayan Electric Co. Inc. (Veco) said the full implementation of the five percent discount for individual seniors and the 50 percent discount for senior citizens’ centers and group homes may be fully implemented next year yet.

Ethel Natera, Veco spokesperson, said Veco is still waiting for the supplemental implementing rules and regulations (IRRs) that will set the scope and limits of the benefit, including the qualifications of grantees.

Natera, in a statement, said the supplementing IRR will be issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and/or the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

The discounts on electric and water bills will be covered by the supplemental guidelines that the ERC was supposed to issue six months after the IRR was first issued.

RA 9994 was signed into law by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last Feb. 15. Its IRR was signed June 18.

Natera said Veco expects the supplemental IRR to be finalized by ERC in December this year yet.

After the approval of the supplemental IRR, distribution utilities like Veco still have 30 days from the effectivity of the guidelines to begin granting the discounts.

Meanwhile, Natera said Veco has been granting a five percent discount to households.

To avail of the discount, the household meter must be registered in the name of the senior citizen for at least one year. The senior citizen must reside in the household and its monthly consumption should not exceed 100 kilowatt-hours per month. The discount is per household, regardless of the number of senior citizens living there.

Natera said the senior citizen or his representative must apply for the discount with Veco, to be renewed annually.

The applicant must also submit proof of age and citizenship, billing and residence.