Electricity Lifeline Program, malaking tulong para sa mga konsyumer
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00:00 Good morning. G. Baltazar from the Department of Energy. Good morning again.
00:05 Yes sir Aljo. Good morning.
00:08 Okay. For the education of our countrymen who are watching us now, especially the members of 4Peace, what is this electricity lifeline program? What is the purpose of this ma'am?
00:27 Okay sir Aljo. For our knowledge, the lifeline rate program started in 2001 when there was a bill to be paid.
00:38 The Electric Power Industry Reform Act also aims to help our marginalized customers or those who use electricity.
00:50 The design of this program gives a discount to our consumers based on the threshold that ERC has defined or approved for each distribution utility.
01:14 But in our implementation from 1991-1936 until 2021, we do not distinguish who will benefit from the discounts.
01:28 The only basis is how many consumers we have.
01:31 For example, in the Meralco franchise area, ERC has approved a 100 kWh threshold.
01:40 This means that if we are an electricity consumer or a household that uses electricity,
01:48 there are consumers who use electricity for more than 100 kWh, they can receive a discount every month until they exceed that threshold.
02:00 What is the discount?
02:01 Now, after passing the Republic Act 11552, because we want to target more consumers who need our help,
02:17 especially those who pay for electricity, we started implementing that the marginalized or the so-called poor people should benefit from this.
02:34 This is the basis of the list of the Department of Social Welfare and Development that they submitted to our Energy Regulatory Commission.
02:44 So they can benefit from this.
02:48 And aside from that, if there is no support, other electricity consumers can still benefit from this,
02:54 whose income is low or their monthly income is low based on the poverty threshold that was set by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
03:10 So that is the design of our lifetime rate.
03:14 100 kWh consumed every month. How much discount can they get from this ma'am?
03:22 Sir Aljo, for 100 kWh discount, sorry for 100 kWh consumed, the level of savings that can be obtained is different.
03:36 For example, in the franchise area of Meralco, there is an approved CERC, 100 kWh threshold.
03:44 For a qualified lifeliner, if it consumes 100 kWh, let's say it reached that threshold that month, it can get a 20% discount.
03:59 So for the 0 to 20, sir Aljo, it's almost 100% discount based on the approval of the ERC.
04:09 It can only be charged with a fixed metering charge of P5 and other small components like universal charge.
04:20 If we add it up, it's not more than P20.
04:25 Okay. That's a good news. Do you have a record of the registered or available lifelines in this program? Electricity lifeline.
04:35 Yes. Sir Aljo, I will just explain again that the lifeline is not new.
04:45 So in our historical data, almost 6 million are available in the lifeline rate.
04:55 So it's just a combination. There are four-piece, non-four-piece, it can be in the marginalized but not in the four-piece, and there are also those who can pay.
05:09 So when it's a new implementation that will start this September based on Republic Act 11552, this is what we call targeted implementation.
05:21 So four-piece and those in the poverty threshold.
05:25 Our estimated based on the four-piece list provided by DSWD, we have 4.2 million consumers.
05:33 So what we expect is that these 4.2 million consumers, if they have electricity service account or they live in a house that has electricity service account that is not named to them,
05:50 they will be able to avail, we expect them to register. But as of 31 July, our registration data is only 12,900.
06:04 Okay.
06:05 So this is our last record in the whole Philippines.
06:10 Okay. I will just clarify, ma'am. Sometimes we get questions because there are people who are tuning in.
06:21 If a four-piece member needs to register to avail a discount on the electric utility bill, where can they register and what are the requirements they need, ma'am?
06:38 Yes. That's right. They need to register. They need to go to their distribution utility office.
06:48 For example, in Metro Manila or in Batangas, there's Batelec 1 and Batelec 2. So it's different.
06:57 For four-piece, since your name is already submitted to the distribution utility, provided by ERC, you just need to accomplish the forms.
07:09 I think it's available in the distribution utility office. Bring your recent electricity bill.
07:16 Even if it's higher than the threshold set by ERC, you can bring it because you are listed as four-piece.
07:23 And you have a valid government ID.
07:27 For those who are not listed as four-piece, you need to get a certification from the local social welfare development officer.
07:42 I think in LGU offices in the municipality or city hall, you can get this.
07:50 So if you are not listed as four-piece, for example, you went to the distribution utility office and you are not listed as four-piece,
08:00 and you still want to avail, you just need to get a certification from the local SWDO.
08:06 Those are the requirements sir.
08:09 Is there a deadline on when you can avail or register?
08:16 Sir Aljo, the good thing here is that the availment is subject to your registration.
08:25 So if you are not registered, in the next billing month, for example, our four-piece was not registered by August,
08:36 so the billing that you can receive in September or October, the actual amount, that is what you will pay.
08:47 There is no discount.
08:49 But the good thing about this, because this program is until 2051, because it was extended by RA 11552 until 30 years,
09:01 the registration is continuous. So even if we started the targeted implementation by September,
09:09 they can still register. That's why it's better if they can register.
09:16 When? Until 2051?
09:19 Yes.
09:21 Okay. So there's still time. We are digitized. Digitalization.
09:27 Where will they register ma'am? Online?
09:31 They can also check their social media accounts, their distribution utility because online registration is allowed.
09:42 They can just coordinate with their distribution utility.