The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has authorized Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to recover P8.7 billion in previously uncollected pass-through costs from customers over three years, BusinessWorld reported.
In a 51-page decision promulgated on July 31, the ERC allowed Meralco to recover under-collected generation, transmission, system loss, and real property tax charges covering the period from February 2011 onward. The ruling resolves a long-standing request by the utility to recoup costs it had already incurred on behalf of consumers but had not yet fully billed.
The recovery will be spread over three years, allowing Meralco to collect the approved amounts through staggered adjustments in customer bills. This mechanism aims to ease the immediate impact on consumers while ensuring the utility recovers legitimate pass-through charges as provided under its franchise and regulatory framework.