HEEDING to the call of the City Government, the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) assured its member–consumers there will be no disconnections nor surcharges for those who failed to pay their bills in March.
Beneco corporate lawyer Delmar Carino said this was in response to an earlier call of the local government unit of Baguio City through the City Council for all public utilities to waive and suspend collecting payments as a reprieve to the residents who are all affected by the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
“All bills that fell due between the ECQ period of March 16 to April 14 is given thirty days from due date to pay their bills without any fear of arrears or surcharges,” Cariño said.
Beneco earlier issued an advisory informing member-consumers with the recent declaration of the Luzonwide ECQ and supported by a similar issuance from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), the due date for the March electricity bills will be extended for one month from the due date indicated.
“The estimated billing are those that have not been read due to the onset of the ECQ having two conditions which include those bills which fell due from March 15 to March 30 will be given 30 days extension, while for those bill which have not been read in the same period will be given a bill based on estimated billings meaning the consumption will be averaged from the last three months,” the corporate lawyer stated.
The City Council earlier approved a resolution requesting public utility companies operating in the city to grant a reprieve in the imposition of surcharges and penalties on the unpaid bills of their customers during the period of ongoing implementation of the Luzon-wide ECQ.
The resolution also called for the purpose of aligning the City Government’s actions on how to deal with the serious negative effects of the current situation caused by the Covid–19 pandemic.
Aside from Beneco, city legislators called on other public utility companies such as Baguio Water District (BWD), Sky Cable, Converge ICT Solutions, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and other telecommunication companies to understand the current predicament of the people and reprieve clients of the surcharges and penalties being imposed on unsettled bills after their due dates.
“Hopefully the consumers can pay both billing but this is why we came out with this payment billing system to help our member consumers who are all affected by the Covid–19 pandemic. We assure that there will be no disconnection during this time as the electric cooperative understands the present situation of its member consumers at this time,” Cariño added.
Beneco’s Maharlika and Porta Vaga collection centers will be temporarily closed during the prescribed quarantine period but consumers can still pay at the accredited collection centers.
Meanwhile, BWD informed its customers that starting March 17 to April 12, 2020, payment of water bills can be transacted at the BWD main office at Utility Road, Marcoville while other remote payment centers will be temporarily be unavailable.
Further, March water bills will have an extended payment period of 30 days from the due date indicated in the water bill and that no surcharges will be imposed.