Electricity consumers’ relief extended

Electricity consumers will enjoy more relief from their bill burdens as the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) extended by another month the suspension of the collection of incentives for renewable energy projects proponents.

“Consumers will continue to benefit from a [4-centavo-per-kilowatt-hour] reduction [in charges] due to the extended suspension of the Feed-in Tariff Allowance or Fit-All collection for another billing period,” ERC Chair Agnes Devanadera said in a statement.

Last March, the ERC announced that the FIT-All would not be collected from consumers in the April billing.

This was done in light of the government’s proclamation of a state of national health emergency due to the new coronavirus disease and the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

Aimed at encouraging investments in renewable power sources such as wind, solar, run-of-river hydro and biomass facilities, the FIT-All mechanism was established pursuant to the Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

Calculated and set yearly, the FIT-All is a uniform charge collected from all electricity users through distribution utilities, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, and retail electricity suppliers.

Also, the ERC directed distribution utilities to collect bills that fell due but were unpaid and accumulated during the quarantine on a staggered basis over four consecutive months.