Meralco | Ang Liwanag ng Bukas

1. Account Name and Billing Address
   Refers to the account holder and the address to which the bill is delivered.
2. Customer Service Lines
   For inquiries, please call our 24-hour service hotline or visit our website.
3. Branch/Collecting Office
   The address and contact number of your branch/collecting office
4. Your Service Information
   • Your Service Identification Number (SIN):
     The most important piece of information when paying, inquiring on your service account or your bill, etc. For faster service, please have this available when transacting with the Call Center or your branch office.
   • Your Rate Classification:
     Identifies your type of service - Residential, General Service, Government Hospi-tal/Metered Streetlight, Industrial, Non Industrial or Flat Streetlight. This determines how you are billed.
   • Contract Name and Service Address:
     Refers to the location of the electric service.
5. Your Billing Information
   • Bill Date:
     The date your bill was generated.
   • Billing Period:
     The period of electric consumption being billed.
   • Due Date:
     The date to settle your bill to avoid disconnection.
   • Total kWh:
     The amount of electricity you consumed during the billing period.
   • Total Current Amount:
     The amount due for the current billing period.
6. Summary of Your Charges
   A table that summarizes your charges for the current billing period. The breakdown of these items is at the back of the bill.
7. Announcements
   Watch this space for tips, news, and promos.
8. Your Consumption History
   A graph that shows your electric consumption in the last 13 months that is useful in monitoring your usage.
9. Bill Stub
   A stub with payment-related information that is torn off when paying at any branch or collecting office,or at any third party agent.
10. Bill Stub
    This lists your meters and their corresponding readings for the billing period. Your kWh consumption is de-termined by subtracting the Previous from the Present readings and multiplying it by the Multiplier.
11. The Details of Your Charges
    For every Peso paid for the electric bill, approximately 13 centavos goes to Meralco, and around 87 centavos goes to power suppliers and government. Meralco collects and remits to them each time you pay; that way, you only have one bill to pay.

    This is the breakdown of your charges:

    1. Generation - This goes to the generating companies (National Power Corporation and Independ-ent Power Producers) or power suppliers.
    2. Transmission - This goes to the Transmission Company (Trans-Co).
    3. System Loss - This is the recovery of the cost of power loss due to technical and non-technical system losses.
    4. Distribution - These charges go to Meralco and cover the many services and tasks it performs, such as:
       1. The cost of building, operating and maintaining its distri-bution system;
       2. Billing, collection, customer service, records maintenance, and associated services;
       3. Reading, operating and maintaining power metering fa-cilities;
       4. Adjustments for the unavoidable fluctuations in the ex-change rate of the Philippine Peso against the US Dollar.
    5. Subsidies - The subsidies under this group provide for so-cialized pricing mechanisms for marginalized customers and the different customer classifications.
       1. Goverment Taxes and Universal Charges - These subgroups include taxes and other charges remitted to the national and local governments and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM). These remittances are used to fund the electrification of remote areas not connected to the transmission system.
       2. Other Charges - These refer to items not included above like backbillings, application of refund, pre-payments, etc.
12. a. and b. Additional Information
    Related information, like price changes, your refund balance, etc.
13. Contact Information
    The contact number of Meralco and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for complaints and other in-quiries.
14. Payment Tips and Instructions
    Handy tips when paying or looking for other payment options.

Q. When should I pay my bill?

Answer: Your bill is supposed to be paid within 6 to 7 days before due date.

Q. Can I have my bill due date adjusted to coincide with payday (the 15th or 30th of the month)?

Answer: Your bill due date cannot be adjusted. Your payment due date is determined by a system which takes into consideration the date of meter readings in your area, and you service contract. This ensures that the process of computing your bill is efficient with minimal delays and utmost accuracy.

Q. What should I do if I receive a disconnection notice?

Answer: Visit your nearest Meralco branch within 2 days after receiving the disconnection notice and settle your account to avoid disconnection.

Q. Where can I pay My Meralco Bill?

Answer: You can pay your electric bill via the following:

• Automated Teller Machines (ATM)*
  • BancNet
  • Bank of the Philippine Islands
  • Megalink
  • Philippine National Bank
  • United Coconut Planters Bank
  • Union Bank of the Philippines
• Phone Banking
  • BancNet (selected members)
  • Bank of the Philippine Islands
  • China Banking Corporation
  • Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
  • Philippine National Bank
  • United Coconut Planters Bank
• Internet Banking
  • BancNet (selected members)
  • Banco de Oro
  • Bank of the Philippine Islands
  • China Banking Corporation
  • Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
  • Metrobank
  • Philippine National Bank
  • United Coconut Planters Bank
  • Union Bank of the Philippines
• Mobile Banking
  • Globe G-Cash
  • SMART Money
• Over-the-counter payments
  You can make over-the-counter payments in cash or in check. Over-the-counter payments are accepted at any of the following accredited banks and commercial es-tablishments:
  • Banks
    • Banco de Oro Universal Bank
    • Bank of the Philippine Islands
    • China Banking Corporation
    • East West Bank
    • Equicom Savings Bank
    • Planters Development Bank
    • Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation
    • Robinson's Savings Bank
    • Union Bank of the Philippines
  • Commercial Establishments
    • Bayad Centers (Please click here to go to Bayad Center Website)
• Auto Debit Arrangements (ADA)/ Credit Cards*
• With Meralco Auto Paid, get rid of over-the-counter payment lines and worry lines with one easy enrollment.
• Get your monthly electric bill auto debited from your bank account or auto charged to your credit card on time, every month, guaranteed no disconnection.* *As long as bank balance/credit limit can cover the bill.
  • Automatic Debit Arrangement (ADA)
  • Authorize your bank to debit the bill amount from your account on the due date and remit the payment to Meralco. Visit your bank of account to enroll in this option. Meralco bill payments are accepted thru the following accred-ited ADA Partners:
    • Allied Banking Corporation
    • Banco de Oro Universal Bank
    • Bank of the Philippine Islands
    • Citibank
    • Security Bank
    • Union Bank of the Philippines
    • United Coconut Planters Bank
  • Automatic Charging Arrangement (Credit Card)
  • Charge your bill to your credit card (issued in the Philippines). Call your credit card hotline to enroll in this option. Meralco bill payments are ac-cepted thru the following accredited Credit Card Institutions:
    • East West Credit Card
    • American Express Credit Card
    • BDO MasterCard
    Get up to 2% rebate on your Meralco bill when you pay via Citibank Cash Back Card
    • BPI Credit Card
    • Citibank Card
    • Diner's Club Card
    • Metrobank Card
    • Security Bank Mastercard
    • Standard Chartered Credit Card
    • UnionBank Visa

Important Facts about Meter Reading

The reading of your meter is perhaps one of the most important phases of determining your bill. While you may sometimes doubt that your meter is inaccurately read, this is hardly the case in most instances. Find out more about this important activity below, including how to do it yourself.

Q. What is a meter reader?

Answer: He is Meralco’s business partner.

Meter readers usually read your meter anytime within the week of your bill date. For example, if your bill date is on June 10, the meter reader will visit your home anytime from the 8th to the 12th of the next month.

Meter readers undergo training and attend seminars conducted regularly by Meralco. They must be of good moral character and must have finished at least high school.

Q. What are his tools?

Answer: The Rover 2000 is a handheld microcomputer that stores the meter reading data of every customer. It vali-dates that the data entered is complete and accurate and within the range of the customer’s history of electric consumption.

Binoculars are also standard issue to meter readers for meters that are inaccessible, installed in elevated plac-es or located in distant areas.

These binoculars have a field view ranging from 87M/1000M to 314M/1000M.

Q. What is an electric meter?

Answer: The watt-hour meter installed in your home is a precision device that measures the electricity consumption of your household.

The meter is factory tested, re-tested and sealed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for accuracy in registering the electric consumption.

The meter has a minimum of four small dials that record your electricity consumption. Each dial is numbered from zero to nine.

Electricity flowing through the meter moves the hands by measuring kilowatthours. The meter records the number of kilowatthours used in a given billing period.

Q. How do I read my meter?

Answer: Reading your meter is as easy as one, two, three!

Step 1

Stand directly in front of your meter and look at the four dials (A,B, C and D). Note that adjacent dials move in opposite directions. Dials A and C move counter-clockwise while Dials B and D move in a clockwise di-rection.

Step 2

Read the meter starting from the rightmost dial. First, read Dial D followed by Dials C, B, and A. Write down the numbers that the pointers have passed in each of the four dials. In this example, the reading on the meter is 5941.

Remember:

When a pointer is directly pointing to a number in any of the dials, always consult the dial on its right. Look at the example on Figure 1. The pointer on Dial C points directly at 5, that’s why we should look at Dial D to determine the reading of Dial C.

If the pointer of Dial D points directly at 0 or between 0 and 1, then Dial C will be read as 5.

Step 3

Write down your meter’s new reading and this will be the “present reading”. Look for the previous reading, which can be found on your bill. Then, subtract your meter’s previous reading from the present reading. The difference is the number of kilowatthours that your household has consumed since your last billing period.

Q. When is my meter read?

Answer: Your meter is read every month, and it depends on the billing period that is stated at the top portion of your bill.

For example:

• Billing schedule for Oct. 2 - Nov. 1, 2004: First day of the month
• Billing schedule for Oct. 15 - Nov. 14, 2004: Second week of the month

Q. Is my meter being read properly?

Answer: You can be assured that our meter readers accurately read your meters. You can check the readings. Just follow the steps on "How to Read your Meter" brochure which can be found in any of our branch offices.

Q. Who owns the meter installed in my property?

Answer: The meter is owned by Meralco.

Q. Can the meter be pulled out?

Answer: Yes. Meralco reserves the right to pull-out the meter if:

• It needs to be checked/inspected
• Electric service is terminated
• Abnormalities were found during inspection
• The customer requests it

Q. Why is it that my electric bill changes even if I don't change my appliances?

Answer: Consumption of electricity changes in accordance to the seasons. For example, you consume more electricity during the summer months.

Have more questions? Drop us a line, here.