Manila Electric Co. has asked the Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the coverage of prepaid retail electricity to large power users and not just households.
Meralco, in its comment to the ERC, said only residential customers were given the choice to avail of prepaid metering as an energy management strategy under the current rules.
“We believe, however, that this choice should also be extended to non-residential customers on a voluntary basis and subject to the availability and capability of distribution utilities’ prepaid electric service infrastructure,” Meralco said.
The move, according to Meralco, would promote demand side management and be “of relevant use to businesses whose costs of electricity are material and the management of such is crucial to remain competitive or at least viable.”
“In fact, there are non-residential customers who have expressed their interest in availing prepaid retail electricity service because of their need to effectively manage their energy consumption,” Meralco said.
“The benefits of PRES would also be experienced by non-residential customers, hence, non-residential customers should not be excluded by the rules to avail of PRES.”
It said the extension of the service to large power users offering to more customers would result in increased operational efficiencies to distribution utilities.
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