Daily TribuneMeralco encouraged customers with questions and concerns to report these through Meralco’s official customer service channels, assuring the public that every concern is being evaluated and acted upon.
MERALCO vice president and head of Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga assured customers with pending power bill disputes will not experience service disconnection.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF Meralco
As concerns of customers of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) on social media pile up, the power distribution utility said electricity service of customers who have pending complaints will not be disconnected, addressing misconceptions surrounding billing disputes.
“We would like to clarify that electricity service of Meralco customers with pending billing concerns will not be disconnected while their cases are under investigation,” Meralco vice president and head of Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga said.
Further, Zaldarriaga maintained that there is still a nationwide suspension of disconnection activities for all unpaid bills from May to July 2026, as earlier ordered by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
“We also reiterate that disconnection activities for all consumers with unpaid balances covering the May to July billing periods remain suspended,” he said.
The clarification comes amid concerns over electricity bills and billing concerns that have circulated on social media in recent weeks.
However, Meralco encouraged customers with questions and concerns to report these through Meralco’s official customer service channels, assuring the public that every concern is being evaluated and acted upon.
“We continuously address the concerns of all customers regarding their electricity bills, consumption, or meter reading through our official customer touch points. Rest assured that we have been diligently reviewing and resolving every customer concern brought to our attention,” Zaldarriaga said.
Be cautious this rainy season
Meanwhile, Meralco, in an advisory, reminded its customers to continue observing electrical safety during this rainy season.
Meralco said in case of flooding, turn off the main electrical power switch or circuit breaker and ensure that hands are dry when touching electrical appliances and facilities.
“All electrical wires, connectors and other wiring devices should also be kept completely dry at all times. If outlets or appliances are drenched, it’s best to have a licensed electrician check these before using,” the advisory read.
Meralco also advised customers to keep all channels of communication open and ready, and charge mobile phones, laptops, radios and other communication gadgets.
Customer’s choice program
Meralco also expressed support for the government’s customer choice programs and urged qualified customers to join the competitive retail electricity market to maximize its benefits.
This followed the ERC’s move to lower the contestability threshold under Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) to 100 kilowatts (kW) starting 26 June 2026 — enabling more consumers, including medium-sized enterprises, to choose their own electricity suppliers.
“Meralco continues to empower smaller electricity end-users to participate in the contestable market. Through the Retail Aggregation Program, households and small businesses that individually do not meet the 100-kW requirement can aggregate their electricity demand, enabling them to start collectively benefitting from supplier choice,” the power utility said.
