Terms of Use

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

(FOR THE ACCESS AND USE OF MERALCO WEBSITE, MERALCO ONLINE, MERALCO MOBILE APPLICATION AND SUBSCRIBERS TO MERALCO NOTIFICATIONS)

Welcome to the MERALCO Website and Applications. If You continue to access and use the MERALCO Website, including any of the Applications and subscribed to receive notifications, You are expressly agreeing to be bound by these Terms and Conditions of access and use which together with Our Privacy Policy, govern Our relationship with You in relation to the MERALCO Website and the Applications.

If You disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not access and/or use the MERALCO Website and/or any of the Applications as your use of thereof shall mean acceptance of the terms and conditions provided herein. Minors (defined as those who are below 18 years of age) are not authorized to access and/or use the Applications. If You are a minor, You must not access and/or use the Applications.

The term “Us” or “We” refers to MERALCO, the owner of the MERALCO Website and Applications. The term “Our” alludes to properties, materials and contents owned by MERALCO, including the MERALCO Website, and Applications, and/or by Our Customer. The term “You” refers to the user or viewer of the MERALCO Website and/or Applications. The term “Applications” collectively refer to the MERALCO Online Customer Portal (“Meralco Online”) and MERALCO Mobile App.

The term "Registered Customer" refers to the person in whose name an electric service account is registered. The term "Actual User" refers to the Registered Customer being supplied with electricity or the person who is authorized by the Registered Customer to occupy the Registered Customer's premises and enjoy the electric service. The term “Account Holder” refers to the Registered Customer and/or Actual User as the case may be. The Term "MERALCO Online User" refers to a Registered Customer or Actual User with a MERALCO Online Account using the MERALCO Online Customer Portal. The Term "MERALCO Mobile App User" refers to a Registered Customer or Actual User with a MERALCO Online Account using the MERALCO Mobile App. The term "Guest User" refers to any person with or without a MERALCO Online Account using the Guest functionalities of the MERALCO Online Customer Portal or MERALCO Mobile App. The term "Online Services" refers to the services made available by MERALCO through the Website and the Applications.

I. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. MERALCO will, from time to time, amend or modify these Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy. You are advised to check the latest Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy frequently for updates.

2. MERALCO may, at any time modify, suspend or permanently stop and/or remove any aspect or feature of the MERALCO Website and Applications.

3. Other than Your Content, MERALCO and/or its licensors own/s all rights to the intellectual properties and materials (collectively, "Content") contained in the MERALCO Website, and Applications, including but not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. All such Content are protected by copyright, trademark and other laws relating to intellectual property rights, and cannot be used without prior written consent of MERALCO or its licensor/s (if applicable). 'Your Content' shall mean any document, text, images or other materials You choose to display on, submit and/or upload to the MERALCO Website and/or Applications. MERALCO documents and/or materials, which are made available for download, may be downloaded and used by You, except for commercial gains that are not related to or in connection to Your business, transaction or engagement with MERALCO.

4. By submitting and/or uploading Your Content in the MERALCO Website and/or Applications, you grant MERALCO, a non-exclusive, worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free, license to use and reproduce it for its legitimate business purposes, subject to the applicable Data Privacy laws and regulations.

5. You commit to be fully responsible in the access and/or use of the MERALCO Website, and Applications. You shall not:

1. Publish, sell or commercialize any of our Content in any media;
2. Access and use the MERALCO Website and Applications in any way that: (a) damages the reputation and goodwill of MERALCO; (b) is contrary to applicable laws and regulations; and (c) causes any harm or damage to any person or entity;
3. Engage in any activity that constitutes data mining, data harvesting, data extracting or any other similar activity using the MERALCO Website and Applications to engage in any advertising or marketing;
4. Access any data or part of the MERALCO Website and Applications that You are restricted to access into (i.e. accessing any servers or user accounts without authorization);
5. Perform any security test of the MERALCO Website, any of the Applications, or any MERALCO network or system;
6. Upload any files or post links that have malicious content (e.g. malware);
7. Upload any files that would cause the MERALCO Website, and/or any of the Applications to crash or malfunction (i.e. Uploading of multiple files continuously, in or very large files that the system couldn’t handle);
8. Upload any materials/pictures that are obscene, vulgar, sexually explicit or offensive to moral, religious or racial sensibilities;
9. Perform any forgery or spoofing of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/Internet Protocol (IP) packets; and
10. Use any device, software or routine that will disrupt the normal operations of the MERALCO Website and/or any of the Applications; and use any engine, software, tool, agent or other device or mechanism (including but not limited to browsers, spiders, robots, avatars or intelligent agents) to navigate the MERALCO Website, and/or any of the Applications, other than the search engine currently made available by MERALCO or third-party internet browsers that are generally available.

6. MERALCO reserves the right to restrict you from accessing the MERALCO Website and/or any of the Applications or any part thereof, at any time and in its sole and absolute discretion. Any user ID and password You may have for the Applications are confidential and You must maintain confidentiality of such information.

7. MERALCO makes no warranties and representations of any kind related to the MERALCO Website and Applications and all Contents displayed and contained therein, including any information and data related thereto that are made available through the Online Services. MERALCO does not warrant or guarantee the timeliness, accuracy, completeness or suitability of the Content of the MERALCO Website and Applications for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such Content may contain inaccuracies or errors which are isolated cases and MERALCO expressly disclaim liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.

8. From time to time, the MERALCO Website and/or the Applications may also display links to other websites. These links are provided for Your convenience and further information. They do not signify that We endorse the website(s). MERALCO has no responsibility for the Contents of the linked website(s).

9. MERALCO, its officers, directors, officers and employees shall not be liable to You for anything arising out of or in any way connected with Your use and/or access of the MERALCO Website and/or any of the Applications, whether such liability is under contract, tort or otherwise.

10. You shall defend, protect, indemnify and hold MERALCO, its directors, officers, employees and agents, free and harmless from and against any and all claims, actions, losses, damages and expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees) arising out of or in any way related to Your use and/or access of the MERALCO Website, any of the Applications and/or data of the Registered Customer and/or Your breach of these Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy.

11. You warrant that: (a) you have secured the consent of the Registered Customer to view, access and/or use any data relating to the electric service account of the Registered Customer, and to perform any transaction in the MERALCO Website and/or any of the Applications relating to such electric service account; or, in the event that obtaining this consent this becomes impossible, (b) you are the actual user of the electric service account and that the data generated from the processing of this information pertains to you and not to the Registered Customer.

12. If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid under any applicable law, such unenforceability or invalidity shall not render these Terms unenforceable or invalid as a whole, and such provisions shall be deleted without affecting the remaining provisions herein.

13. MERALCO is not barred from seeking all legal remedies available to it under the law, including but not limited to the filing of appropriate actions, for any violation of system and network security and/or abuse in relation to the use and/or access of the MERALCO Website and/or any of the Applications.

14. The Online Services provided by MERALCO in or through the MERALCO Website and Applications are aimed at providing You additional options and improved convenience. While MERALCO will ensure that these Online Services will run smoothly for the benefit of all its customers, MERALCO does not assume any responsibility for, and will not be liable for, any damages to, or any viruses that may infect Your computer or mobile or access device as a result of Your access to and/or use of the MERALCO Website and/or any of the Applications.

15. If You violate any of the Terms and Conditions, MERALCO reserves the right to terminate Your right to use the MERALCO Website and/or any of the MERALCO Applications.

16. The MERALCO Website, Applications and the Online Services made available herein are created and controlled by MERALCO from its offices in the Republic of the Philippines. The laws of the Philippines will govern these Terms and Conditions.

II. PRIVACY

1. WHAT WE COLLECT
   
   1.1 . From prospective and existing customers, including customers with terminated services

1.1.1 Information you provide to us when you apply for service, such as your name, address, phone number, email address, Tax Identification Number (TIN), evidence of authority to occupy (e.g., contract of lease, Transfer Certificate of Title, Special Power of Attorney (SPA), Undertaking / Authorization from owner of the premises) and, if applicable, details of your authorized representative;

1.1.2. Billing and payment information such as your banking (for auto debit arrangement) and credit card (for auto charge arrangement) information for the payment of your electric consumption. However, details of the payment instrument (like prepaid card, debit card, credit card) used to pay your bills via the MeralcoOnline Portal are captured and processed by the payment gateway service provider;

1.1.3. Information to determine eligibility to participate in certain energy programs or services, such as peak-off-peak rates (POP), net metering, Interruptible Load Program (ILP), demand side management (DSM), etc.;

1.1.4. Information you fill out in any form on our website, such as, when you wish to contact us to lodge your concerns, to register at our customer portal, to avail of our online application, outage notifications, and billing and/or payment services;

1.1.5. Information you give us when you communicate with MERALCO and/or any of our representatives (e.g., Call Center Representatives, Relationship Managers, etc.), such as with respect to inquiries and complaint details on the quality and reliability of electric service;

1.1.6. Responses you or your representative provide when you participate in our customer surveys;

1.1.7. Information you provide for verification purposes (e.g., to facilitate refunds or to avail of zero-rated VAT transactions), such as photocopy of a valid / government-issued identification card or foreign passport;

1.1.8. Any other information you voluntarily provide for any legitimate purpose declared at point of collection of such information.

2. WHAT WE DO WITH THE INFORMATION WE GATHER

MERALCO stores, processes, and analyzes the information that you provide to us for purposes, including, but not limited to:

2.1. providing and continuously improving our electric services, as well as managing your account

2.2. responding to your inquiry, concern or complaint

2.3. sending information about our programs (POP, ILP) and service offerings (DSM, etc) that may be of interest to you

2.4. sending messages related to your services such as outage notifications, updates, alerts, and other information that you request

2.5. enabling us to accept bill payments according to your enrolled payment mode (i.e., automatic debit from your authorized Auto-Payment Arrangement agent)

2.6. verifying your identity when you access your account through the various customer engagement channels (e.g., e-mail, website, mobile application, via phone call, walk-in)

2.7. verifying your identity and eligibility to claim refunds

3.DATA DISCLOSURE AND SHARING

Access to your personal information is restricted to MERALCO employees and contractors on a need to know basis to carry out their responsibilities with regard to the conduct of our business such as meter reading, bill delivery, field inspection, energization, and restoration of your electric service. We require our contractors, through a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), to secure and keep your information confidential and we do not allow them to disclose your information to others, or to use it for their own purposes.

Your information may also be disclosed to government entities pursuant to and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, subpoena or court order.

Your username shall also be visible to other Meralco Online users if you have enrolled the same SIN to your respective accounts. This serves as an additional security measure as it enables you to confirm that the account/s who have also enrolled your service/s are authorized by the Meralco Registered Customer or Account Holder.

4. INFORMATION SECURITY

We are committed to ensure that your information is secure. MERALCO shall undertake and implement reasonable organizational, physical, and technical security measures in collecting, receiving, transmitting, storing, and disposing your personal information.

For an enhanced online experience, our services are available through compatible devices, such as laptops, PCs, tablets and mobile phones. For your added security, we recommend that you install anti-virus software on any such device before accessing the internet.

You are responsible for the security of your information once it reaches you or your representative in any medium, including but not limited to written correspondences, bills, emails, system applications, and on-line accounts. You should take appropriate measures to ensure that any medium or device you use to monitor or manage your account is secure and not accessible to anyone without permission.

5. AUTOMATIC COLLECTION OF INFORMATION AND HOW WE USE COOKIES

By using our website and /or using services through it, you agree to the use of cookies, either via the MERALCO website, email or SMS communications. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. However, this may prevent you from taking full advantage of our website.

A cookie is a small file, which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyze web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyze data about web page traffic and improve our website to enhance your browsing experience. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

We receive and store certain types of information (such as the amount of time you spend on the site and the number of views you made on each page, the IP address of your device, and the browser and operating system that you are using) when you interact with our website, mobile website, emails and online advertising to monitor proper functionality, determine areas for continuous improvement and to support website requirements. This information is gathered automatically, temporarily stored in log files and removed from the system at a certain point.

6. LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES

Our website contains links, which may lead you to other websites, including Bayad for payment to other billers that beyond our control and not covered by this Privacy Policy. If you access other sites using the links provided, the operators of those sites may collect information from you, which may be used by them in accordance with their own privacy policy. We are not responsible for the protection and privacy of any personal information that third parties may collect, store and use through their website. Therefore, you should exercise caution and carefully study the privacy policy of each website you visit.

7. LOGS COLLECTION

Your personal information may be collected by our logging processes in case of logical and physical access to our systems and/or premises. When necessary, personal information may be retrieved for security purposes.

8. PERSONAL DATA RETENTION AND DISPOSAL

We keep your personal data only for as long as necessary:

a) for the fulfillment of the declared, specified, and legitimate purposes provided above, or when the processing relevant to the purpose has been completed or terminated;

b) for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims; or

c) for other business purposes, that are consistent with standards established or approved by regulatory agencies governing MERALCO

Thereafter, your personal data shall be disposed or discarded in a secure manner that would prevent further processing, unauthorized access, or disclosure to any other party or the public.

9. CONTROLLING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

You have the right (in the circumstances and under the conditions, and subject to the exceptions, set out in applicable law) to:

9. 1. Object or withdraw consent*. You may object to the processing of your personal data or withdraw your consent at any point of processing by contacting the Data Privacy Office of Meralco.

9. 2. Request to rectify your personal data. You may ask for the correction of the personal data that you submit to Meralco website and applications whenever you discover that the same are outdated, inaccurate, or incomplete.

9. 3. Request erasure of your personal data. You may request to erase your personal data upon determination that they are no longer necessary to achieve the legitimate business purpose declared in the Meralco website and applications, or upon the discovery that the processing has prejudiced or will prejudice your fundamental rights.

9. 4. Request portability of your data. You may ask for a copy of your personal data that you have provided to us (in a commonly used and machine-readable format), and for us to transmit such copy to another entity on your behalf upon a documented request.

*This will not affect the lawfulness of the processing that was carried out before you withdrew your consent or Meralco’s right to continue parts of the processing based on other legal bases than your consent.

You may request for a copy of your personal information in our possession, or have it corrected if you believe that it is inaccurate or incomplete. If you wish to request for a copy of your personal data, or have it corrected or deleted, please reach out to us through our contact information found below. We will promptly respond to your request.

Chief Data Privacy Officer
Tel. No.: 631-2222
e-mail: cdpo@meralco.com.ph
Office: Lopez Building, Meralco Center, Ortigas Avenue, Brgy. Ugong, Pasig City, 1600

10. FEEDBACK ON OUR PRIVACY POLICY

For questions or feedback about our Privacy Policy, please contact us through this email:
cdpo@meralco.com.ph

III. MERALCO ONLINE ACCOUNT

1. Terms and Conditions Applicable to ALL MERALCO Online Accounts Users:

1.1. The creation of Your MERALCO Online account grants You access to the different online services (Section IV) of the Applications.

1.2. MERALCO reserves the right to accept or decline Your request for a MERALCO Online account.

1.3. By signing up, You acknowledge that You are either or both the Registered Customer and/or Actual User of the electric service or authorized representative of the Registered Customer.

1.4. To create a MERALCO Online account, You need to do either of the following:

1.4.1. Fill out a MERALCO Online online registration form and provide Your email address. The said email address will be the username for Your MERALCO Online account, and will be considered Your primary email address. You can only change your email address following the set of rules provided in the Meralco Online Terms and Conditions.

1.4.2. You may choose to create Your Meralco Online account using your Facebook or Google accounts. In either case, Meralco Online will retrieve the email address You used for the chosen account. The said email address will be the username for Your MERALCO Online account, and shall be considered Your primary email address. You can only change your email address following the set of rules provided in the Meralco Online Terms and Conditions.

1.5. To create a MERALCO Online account, you also need to create Your own password for Your MERALCO Online account. You can change Your password at any time or upon its expiration.

1.6. The username and password You have created may be used in both Applications.

1.7. You are responsible for the confidentiality of Your username and password and the security of the device you are using to access the Applications. You acknowledge that MERALCO shall not be responsible for any issues that may arise from any activity relating to the use of Your username and password and device.

1.8. You shall be held responsible for all acts or omissions with respect to the use of Your MERALCO Online account. You agree to immediately notify MERALCO of any unauthorized use of Your account or any breach of security.

1.9. You undertake to provide complete and accurate information for the creation of Your MERALCO Online account. You guarantee that the information You will provide shall be true, accurate and complete. You agree to hold MERALCO, its directors, officers, employees and agents free and harmless from any liability, actions, claims and losses, should the inaccuracy and incompleteness of the provided information be due to Your action. MERALCO, may, without notice, suspend or terminate Your access to any of the Applications, or any part thereof, if MERALCO has reasonable grounds to believe that the information You provided is untrue, inaccurate and incomplete.

1.10. Upon creation of Your MERALCO Online account, You will be required to verify Your account within sixty (60) days from receipt of notification [email verification link]. Unverified accounts will be deactivated after sixty (60) days.

1.11. You shall regularly update Your information, whenever necessary, in order to maintain Your information’s accuracy. You understand that MERALCO will be unable to notify You if Your contact information is not up-to-date. You further agree that MERALCO will not be liable for whatever damage which may arise resulting from Your non-notification.

1.12. You understand that Your MERALCO Online account will be automatically logged out after 15 minutes of inactivity.

1.13. If You are accessing your MERALCO Online Account through a mobile device, You have the option to keep Your account from being automatically logged out by enabling “Keep Me Logged In” in the settings. However, please be advised that enabling such feature might expose Your account to unauthorized use. It is Your sole responsibility to ensure the security of your mobile device. You acknowledge that MERALCO shall not be responsible for any unauthorized access to your mobile device. If “Keep Me Logged In” is disabled in the settings, Your account will automatically be logged out after 15 minutes of inactivity.

1.14. If You are an Actual User who is not the Registered Customer, You agree to promptly inform MERALCO and thereafter, immediately remove the electric service account of the Registered Customer from Your MERALCO Online account when You are no longer authorized to occupy the Registered Customer's premises or You are no longer given authorization to represent the Registered Customer.

1.15. You agree to promptly inform MERALCO if You are no longer authorized to access the MERALCO Online Account by reason of revocation of authority, termination of employment, retirement or similar cases. If the email used to create the MERALCO Online Account is Your personal email, You agree to immediately remove the electric service account of the business associated with Your MERALCO Online Account upon revocation or removal of such authority.

2. Terms and Conditions Specifically Applicable to Customers under “BIZ” segment with Rate Classification GS-B (5kW < demand < 40 kW) and General Power Medium (40kW < demand < 200kW)

2.1. You need to fill out a MERALCO Online registration form with complete and accurate data. To register for a MERALCO Online Account, You must either be the Registered Customer or the Authorized Representative of the Registered Customer.

2.2. Upon completion of Your MERALCO Online registration form, your application will be processed by MERALCO. A reference number will be provided to You and a MERALCO representative will contact You.

2.3. You agree to submit the following requirements via email at biz@meralco.com.ph or at the nearest MERALCO Business Center for the creation of Your MERALCO Online account:

2.3.1. For Sole Proprietorships:
• DTI Certificate of Registration; and
• A copy of at least one (1) of Your government-issued IDs or copies of two (2) of Your secondary IDs. If You are not the Registered Customer, you must also submit an Authorization Letter issued by the Registered Customer [Please see Annex A for the list of acceptable IDs]

2.3.2. For Partnerships:
• SEC Certificate of Registration
• Notarized Partner’s Certificate designating You as the Authorized Representative of the Registered Customer, if You are not the Managing Partner; and
• A copy of at least one (1) of Your government-issued IDs or copies of two (2) of Your secondary IDs. [Please see Annex A for the list of acceptable IDs]

2.3.3. For Corporations:
• SEC Certificate of Registration, if not available in the records of MERALCO;
• Latest General Information Sheet;
• Notarized Secretary’s Certificate or an Authorization Letter issued by the President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO) or General Manager appointing You as the Registered Customer’s Authorized Representative; and
• A copy of at least one (1) of Your government-issued IDs or copies of at least two (2) of Your secondary IDs. [Please see Annex A for the list of acceptable IDs]

2.4. MERALCO will notify You upon successful completion of Your application for account creation.

3. Terms and Conditions Specifically Applicable to Customers under the “Corporate Business Group (CBG)” segment with Rate Classification of General Power Large (200kW < demand < 750kW), General Power Very Large (750kW < demand < 10,000 kW) or General Power Extra Large(10,00kW < demand); Other Customers who are E-Bill Subscribers from the previous MERALCO online platform; government and other entities

3.1. Upon request, A MERALCO representative can pre-enroll You for the creation of Your MERALCO Online Account. You may also contact our MERALCO Corporate Partners Hotline at 16210 and for other customers – MERALCO Hotline at (02) 16211 to request for a pre-enrollment.

3.2. You may be required to submit documents for the creation of Your MERALCO Online Account as necessary:

3.2.1. For Corporations/GOCC without original charter/NGOs/Foundations/ Religious Organizations/Cooperatives/Homeowners’ Association:
• SEC Certificate of Registration (applicable only to corporations, government owned and controlled corporations without original charter, NGOs, foundations, religious organizations);
• CDA Certificate of Registration (applicable only to cooperatives);
• HLURB Certificate of Registration (applicable only to Homeowners’ Association);
• Latest General Information Sheet (if registered with the SEC);
• Notarized Corporate Secretary’s Certificate or an Authorization Letter issued by the President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO) or General Manager appointing You as the Authorized Representative of the Registered Customer of the Registered Customer appointing; and
• A copy of at least one (1) of Your government-issued IDs or copies of at least two (2) of Your secondary IDs. [Please see Annex A for the list of acceptable IDs]

3.2.2 For LGUs/ National Agencies of the Government and its Instrumentalities/ GOCCs with original charters:
• Authorization from the City/Municipal Mayor/Administrator (applicable only to local government units), allowing You to act as Authorized Representative of the Registered Customer; OR
• Authorization from responsible Department Head or his/her equivalent (applicable only to National Agencies of the Government and its Instrumentalities) allowing You to act as Authorized Representative of the Registered Customer; OR
• Secretary’s Certificate (applicable only to GOCCs with original charters) appointing You as the Authorized Representative of the Registered Customer; AND
• A copy of at least one (1) of Your government-issued ID or copies of at least two (2) of Your secondary IDs. [Please see Annex A for the list of acceptable IDs]

3.2.3 For Partnerships:
• SEC Certificate of Registration;
• Notarized Partner’s Certificate designating You as the Authorized Representative, if you are not the Managing Partner of the Registered Customer; and
• A copy of at least one (1) of Your government-issued ID or copies of at least two (2) of Your secondary IDs. [Please see Annex A for the list of acceptable IDs]

3.3. MERALCO will notify You upon successful creation of Your MERALCO Online Account.

3.4. You agree to immediately inform MERALCO if You are no longer authorized to access the MERALCO Online Account by reason of revocation of authority, termination of employment, retirement or similar cases. If the email used to create the MERALCO Online Account is Your personal email, You agree to immediately remove the electric service account/s of the business, government agency, local government unit, foundation, organization, association or cooperative associated with Your MERALCO Online Account upon revocation or removal of such authority.

4. Deactivation of MERALCO Online Account

4.1. You may opt to deactivate Your MERALCO Online account. Deactivation of MERALCO Online account may be done in the Profile Settings – “Deactivate Account”

4.2. You agree that MERALCO, at its own discretion, may deactivate Your MERALCO Online account after six (6) months of inactivity. Your MERALCO Online account is considered inactive if You have not logged-in and not subscribed to Paperless Billing.

4.3. You agree that MERALCO, at its own discretion, can deactivate Your MERALCO Online account if there is no active electric service associated to or enrolled under such MERALCO Online account. To prevent deactivation of Your MERALCO Online account, You have to enroll a new electric service within sixty (60) days from termination of Your last electric service.

4.4. In all instances, the deactivation of Your MERALCO Online account does not terminate the electric service of the Registered Customer.

4.5 MERALCO reserves the right at anytime and for any reason to:

4.5.1. Discontinue the provision of any online service related to the MERALCO Online account; and

4.5.2. Disassociate an electric service account from the MERALCO Online account.

5.Terms and Conditions Specifically Applicable to Customers who subscribed to Meralco notifications

5.1 Subscribing to MERALCO notifications grants You to receive updates for services You will enroll.

5.2 By signing up, You acknowledge that You are either or both the Registered Customer and/or Actual User of the electric service or authorized representative of the Registered Customer.

5.3 MERALCO reserves the right to accept or decline Your request to subscribe to MERALCO notifications

5.4 To subscribe, You need to provide Your email address and/or mobile number, the service you want to enroll and bill details.

5.5 For Customers under the “BIZ” and “Corporate Business Group (CBG)” segments, YOU have to provide additional requirements as discussed in Section III.2 and III.3.

5.6 You agree to promptly inform MERALCO if You are no longer authorized to access the MERALCO Online Account by reason of revocation of authority, termination of employment, retirement or similar cases.

5.7. To unsubscribe, You have to inform MERALCO Call Center.

5.8. In all instances, unsubscription to Meralco notifications does not terminate the electric service of the Registered Customer.

5.9 MERALCO reserves the right at any time and for any reason to discontinue the provision of notifications related to YOUR enrolled service.

IV. ONLINE SERVICES

1. For All Users (MERALCO Online Users, MERALCO Mobile App Users and Guest Users)

1.1. SERVICE APPLICATION

You will be able to do the following:

1.1.1. Apply for: (i) New Electric Service; (ii) Modification of Service; (iii) Transfer of Service; and Termination of Service, online. You would need to fill out and submit all applicable online forms. A reference number will be provided to You upon completion of every application;

1.1.2. Track Your application using the reference number; and

1.1.3. Upload or attach documents related to your application.

1.1.4. For MERALCO Mobile App Users, You will be redirected to Meralco Online to perform the online services mentioned above.

1.2. ONLINE PAYMENTS

You will be able to do the following:

1.2.1. Pay your bills through the MERALCO Online using a credit card, debit card, e-wallets (e.g., Maya, Gcash and Bayad) and other available payment channels, subject to the following:

1.2.1.1. PAYMENT OF CONVENIENCE FEE

1.2.1.1.1. The Convenience Fee allows Meralco, through its Payment Gateway Partner/s which own/s and/or operate/s the technology or platform used in processing your transactions thru our payment channels, to operationalize a secure, reliable payment facility you can access anytime, anywhere.

• The Convenience Fee (CF) is an additional fee, the amount of which depends on your chosen payment partner, which is added to your bill/s payment regardless of your transaction amount.
• The CF is shown in the Payment Summary of the Bills and Payments page which will be displayed before you proceed to payment.
• The CF is non-refundable.
• No part of the CF shall inure or be credited to MERALCO, and the same will be paid to the payment gateway service provider, and/or other service provider/s.
• The CF may be adjusted from time to time upon notice to you.
• Acceptance of payments using different card networks may be temporarily suspended upon prior notice.

• Availability of different payment channels may change without prior notice.

• Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, the terms and conditions herein specified shall apply to all payment channels (e.g., card transactions, QR codes and e-wallets) available in MERALCO Online.

1.2.1.2. PAYMENT PROCESSING AND CUT-OFF TIME

1.2.1.2.1. Payments made between 7:00AM - 11:00PM (PHT) Philippine time via the MERALCO Website or Applications will be processed near real time. i.e. will be posted to Meralco's system immediately. Payments made between 11:00PM (PHT) - 7:00AM (PHT) will be posted at 7:00AM (PHT) of the following day.

1.2.1.2.2. Your online payment shall be applied to the specific bill/s selected for settlement; unless said bills have already been paid through a different channel (other than through the Website and Applications), in which case, Your online payment will be applied to any other outstanding bill under Your account, if there is any, or will be treated as advance payment (in case there are no any other outstanding bills).

1.2.1.2.3. Advance payment and overpayment will be applied to the next succeeding electric bills of Your selected electric service account. There is "overpayment" if the amount paid is more than the total amount of all outstanding bills for all enrolled electric service accounts. There is an "advance payment" if You pay any amount even if there are no outstanding bills for all Your enrolled electric service accounts. For Meralco Mobile App Users, advance payments can be initiated in the mobile browser version of the Meralco Website.

1.2.1.2.4. Partial payment can be made if one specific bill is selected for payment. A partially paid bill can still trigger service disconnection if full payment is not made by the due date.

1.2.1.2.5. Payment credentials that will be provided will not be saved by MERALCO and will only be sent to the Payment Gateway to facilitate payment processing.

1.2.1.3. DISCONNECTION AND RECONNECTION

1.2.1.3.1. Failure to settle outstanding bill/s in full on or before the due date shall result to service disconnection.

1.2.1.3.2. For electric services pending disconnection at the time of payment processing, disconnection may still occur even with the settlement of bills; and should disconnection occur, the subject electric service will be reconnected following the same handling for services disconnected but not yet terminated at the point of payment.

1.2.1.3.3. For electric services already disconnected at the time of payment processing, reconnection will be within 24 hours from MERALCO's receipt of actual payment, unless the date of actual payment is deemed received on the next banking day. The applicable Reconnection Fee Shall be applied to the next bill.

1.2.1.3.4. For disconnected electric services that are already terminated at the time of payment processing, the reconnection of electric services shall be take effected after the submission of required documents and payment of required service deposit.

1.2.2. Bank or cardholder may request for a refund in favor of the cardholder based on valid refund requests or chargebacks in accordance with the following and our payment partner’s relevant policies:

1.2.2.1. CHARGEBACK REASONS

1.2.2.1.1. Valid grounds for chargebacks include the following:

• Fraudulent transaction

o Card was used without the authorization or consent of the cardholder

• Technical problem

o Cardholder was charged twice or more for the same transaction

o Problems on the authorization process

1. The transaction got stuck in the payment gateway and won’t proceed to a successful payment status
2. Other analogous cases

• Paid by other means

o Cardholder’s card was charged despite previous payment thru other means – cash, check, other card

• Goods or Services not delivered

o Service was not rendered or merchandise was not timely delivered by the merchant

1.2.2.2. REFUND PROCESS

1.2.2.2.1. The refund process sequentially follows the steps below:

1. Meralco receives and validates the request for refund.

2. If Meralco finds the request in order and duly substantiated, Meralco cancels the payment posted.

3. Meralco processes the refund through the payment partner’s system.

4. Payment Partner processes the refund to bank.

5. Bank credits the transaction amount to the cardholder’s card or bank account.

1.2.2.3 CUSTOMER REFUND EXPERIENCE

1.2.2.3.1. All chargeback or refund requests must be coursed through the cardholder’s bank.

1.2.2.3.2. Meralco has the discretion to grant or deny any refund and payment cancellation based on the validity of the request.

1.2.2.3.3. The amount of refund will be equal to the amount charged to the cardholder.

1.2.2.3.4. All refunds will be directly returned to the cardholder’s card or bank account. No cash/check refund requests will be entertained.

1.2.2.3.5. The completion of the refund process will be dependent on the turnaround time of the cardholder’s bank.

1.2.2.3.6. Bill/s paid by the refunded payment transaction will thereafter be considered as unpaid after payment cancellation, unless already paid as of cancellation.

1.2.2.3.7. All cancelled payment transactions will be removed from the Payment History (Meralco Online) and Payment Details (Meralco mobile app).

1.2.2.3.8. Payment cancellations will be reflected in the Meralco Online and the Meralco mobile app after an estimate of 1 to 2 days due to sync issues. Rest assured that your payment cancellation is already reflected at the backend as soon as the refund has been processed through our payment partner’s system.

1.2.2.3.9. In case the amount refunded is not equal to the amount charged to the cardholder, the cardholder should file a complaint to the bank to initiate an investigation

1.3. ONLINE CONCERN MANAGEMENT

You will be able to do the following:

1.3.1. File online a/an: (i) Inquiry; (ii) Concern and Feedback; and (iii) Request. You would need to fill out and submit all applicable online forms. A reference number will be provided to You upon completion of every application; If You are a Guest User, for Concern and Feedback and Request concerns, MERALCO will require You to provide Your Service Identification Number;

1.3.2. Track Your concern using the reference number. If You are a Guest User, You may track Your concern using Your surname also.

1.3.3. Upload or attach documents related to Your concern.

1.4. ONLINE OUTAGES AND INCIDENTS REPORTING

You will be able to do the following:

1.4.1. View ongoing and planned outages on the outage map for Your registered service/s, current address, or other address, as well as the status and estimated time of restoration.

1.4.1.1. You may also directly pin selected location on the outage map.

1.4.2. File an outage and incident report online.

1.4.2.1. You will need to fill out and submit all applicable online forms. Failure to provide complete and accurate report details may delay or prevent service restoration.

1.4.2.2. You will need to provide the name of the contact person in the report.

1.4.2.3. A reference number will be provided to You upon completion of every report.

1.4.3. Track, update, edit and provide feedback on Your report using the reference number, and;

1.4.3.1. You may edit your previously filed report to provide additional and/or updated information.

1.4.3.2. You may provide feedback to Meralco that Your concern is not yet resolved after Meralco’s advice that Your concern is already resolved based on our records.

1.4.4. Take, upload, or attach photo/s related to your report.

1.4.5 Voluntarily access and view weather information covering the MERALCO franchise area using the outage map. Weather information is provided by third party sources and access may be disabled by them at any time. You hereby acknowledge that MERALCO neither guaranties continuous access nor accuracy or completeness of the weather information provided by the third party source. You further agree that MERALCO can discontinue and/or disable Your access to such weather information for any reason and for any given time at its sole discretion.

1.5. OUTAGE INFORMATION AND NOTIFICATIONS

1.5.1. You agree and accept that notifications regarding Your outage and incident reports may be sent to the email address and/or mobile phone of Your nominated contact person at any time.

1.5.2. Upon creation of Your MERALCO Online account, You accept that notifications and/or advisories regarding outages affecting Your registered services may be sent to the email address and/or mobile phone of Your nominated contact person at any time.

1.5.3. You acknowledge and agree that all information and/or notification on outages and incidents including the weather information provided by third party sources, are based on estimates and projections, and MERALCO makes no representation that such information and data are comprehensive or free from error. Further, MERALCO makes no warranty or representation that any such data or information is suitable for any particular purpose or use and is/are provided without any guarantee or warranty of any kind, express or implied.

1.6. KNOWLEDGE ARTICLES

1.6.1. You will have access to all available Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

1.6.2. You will be able to use the search functionality and search for any available MERALCO Knowledge Article.

1.7 ONLINE CUSTOMER APPOINTMENT

1.7.1 You will be able to set an appointment with a Meralco representative. You need to fill out and submit all applicable online forms which includes your personal data. You can also upload or attach documents related to the appointment. A confirmation reference number will be provided upon completion of the appointment reservation through website, email and SMS.

1.7.2 You acknowledge that MERALCO shall not be liable for misinformation or any information that is given by the said agent beyond his/her pre-cleared and authorized responses.

1.7.3 You agree to receive notifications / reminders on the appointment schedules in the OCA system through all of MERALCO’s digital, online and social media platforms like email and SMS. Reminders will be sent at least 1 day before appointment date.

1.7.4 You can reschedule or cancel confirmed appointments at least 1 day before the actual appointment date.

1.7.5 MERALCO, at its own discretion and for any reason, may cancel the appointment made by the customer without notice. You agree that MERALCO may provide a new appointment date and time for the concurrence of the customer. In case the customer refuses or is not available at the given schedule, the customer will need to reschedule again using the Online Customer Appointment System.

1.7.6 You will be able to provide feedback through a survey form after the appointment has been completed.

1.7.7 Meralco shall retain your personal data until the customer experience quality assurance audit for each appointment has been completed. Rest assured that Meralco adopts safe and secure disposal methods for the data provided.

1.8 PAYMENT TO OTHER BILLERS AND/OR THROUGH THIRD-PARTY SITES

1.8.1 You may pay your non-Meralco Bills through the Bayad omni-payment platform called MPAY. Its adad can be found in Meralco Online overview page.

1.8.2. Details of your payments for non-Meralco bills made through MPay page which may include the biller, account number, payment amount, and payment details will not be sent to Meralco and will not be viewable in Meralco Online.

1.8.2.1. Any convenience fees or processing fees that may be charged to you for payment of non-Meralco bills will not go to Meralco.

1.8.2.2. For any concern regarding your payment for non-Meralco bills, please contact Bayad directly at support@bayad.com or +632-8-672-5777

2. For Users with MERALCO Online Accounts and MERALCO Customers who Subscribed to Alerts and Notifications, as may be applicable

For Both MERALCO Online Users and MERALCO Mobile App Users:

2.1. SERVICE ENROLLMENT AND UN-ENROLLMENT

2.1.1. You need to fill out and submit all applicable online forms to enroll another electric service in Your MERALCO Online Account.

2.1.2. You can disassociate an electric service from Your MERALCO Online Account, provided that such electric service is not subscribed to Paperless Billing.

2.2. ONLINE BILLING AND PAPERLESS BILLING

2.2.1. You will be able to view Your electric bills online in Your MERALCO Online, including Your 13-months historical bills.

2.2.2. You will be able to subscribe to Paperless Billing. [Please see Annex B for the Terms and Conditions for Paperless Billing ]

2.3. ONLINE PAYMENTS

As a user of the Applications, You will be able to do the following:

2.3.1. For Meralco Online Users, You will be able to view Your payment history for payment transactions made after creation of Your Meralco Online Account. For Meralco Mobile App Users, You will be able to view only the latest payment transaction per bill.

2.3.2. Enroll/Unenroll to Auto Payment Arrangement (APA) schemes.

2.3.2.1. Auto-Payment Arrangement (APA) is an automatic payment option wherein the customers agree that their payments to MERALCO shall be initiated by an authorized APA Agent on a pre-set schedule every month. Available APA schemes are as follows:

2.3.2.1.1. Auto-Debit is an automated payment arrangement offered by bank companies to their customers to conveniently settle periodic bill/s by means of automatic debiting.

2.3.2.1.2. Auto-Charge is an automated payment arrangement offered by credit card companies to their customers to conveniently settle periodic bill/s by means of automatic charging.

2.3.2.2. MERALCO Online customers may enroll to APA via MPAY where Bayad will be the authorized APA agent.
2.3.2.3. APA enrollment is prospective and shall apply to bills generated after a successful APA enrollment.

2.3.2.4. APA enrollment will apply to all electric service accounts under the enrolled Customer Account Number.

2.3.2.4. An APA enrollment may only be made upon settlement of all outstanding bills.

2.3.2.5. All APA enrollment forms will be received by Bayad via MPAY for processing and approval.

2.3.2.6. The cancellation of Your APA enrollment takes effect prospectively (after Your APA enrollment has been successfully cancelled) and shall apply to all enrolled electric service accounts under Your MERALCO Online account.

2.4. NOTIFICATIONS (For Both MERALCO Online Users, MERALCO Mobile App Users and Customers subscribed to Meralco Notifications)

2.4.1. You accept that notifications regarding Your MERALCO Online account activities or transactions, including but not limited to, profile updates, password changes, enrollment/subscription updates, product offerings (applicable for those who opt-in) may be sent to Your registered email address and/or mobile phone.

2.4.2. You accept that notifications regarding all enrolled electric service accounts under Your MERALCO Online account, including but not limited to, outage updates, outage and incident report updates may be sent to Your registered email address and/or mobile phone.

2.4.3. You may indicate your preferred notification channels (e.g. Email and/or SMS). For Payment Reminders, You will always receive email notifications. Subscribers of Paperless Billing will always receive Billing Notifications via email.

2.4.4. If You have not received any messages from MERALCO, please check Your Spam, Bulk, or Junk folders and add MERALCO as one of Your approved senders list.

2.4.5 You accept that notifications may be sent by Bayad for account activities or transactions performed in MPAY.

FOR MERALCO Online Users Only:

2.5. AUTHORIZED WITHOLDING AGENT

As a user of MERALCO Online, You will be able to do the following:

2.5.1. Request for Recognition as Authorized Withholding Agent (AWA)

2.5.1.1. Authorized Withholding Agents (AWA) are government institutions and private entities designated by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to withhold Final Withholding VAT (FWV) and/or Creditable Withholding Tax (CWT) from their bill payments to their suppliers, including MERALCO, subject to their submission of (1) supporting document/s that shall serve as proof that the requesting party is indeed designated by BIR as an AWA; and (2) certificates of withholding tax that shall enable MERALCO to properly report and credit within BIR mandated deadlines the withheld amounts against its tax liabilities.

2.5.1.2. If You are mandated by BIR as an AWA but You are not yet reflected in MERALCO's records as an AWA, You may request for recognition as an AWA upon one-time submission of supporting document/s:

• For Private entities:

- BIR written notification designating the customer as an AWA

• For Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs)

- BIR Certificate of Registration
- Charter

2.5.1.3. If You are an AWA but not the Registered Customer of Your service, the following should be submitted, in addition to the BIR written notification designating You as an AWA:

• For private entity lessees where the Registered Customer is the lessor

- Contract of Lease

• For mergers/ consolidations where the surviving company is the AWA but the Registered Customer is the dissolved company:

- SEC Corporate Papers (i.e. Article of Incorporation, By-Laws, General Information Sheet, SEC approved Articles, Plan of Merger, SEC Certificate of Merger)

• Merger Contract/Agreement Contract of Consolidation AWA occupies the premises of Registered Customer

- Deed of Sale
- Any agreement or document executed between the AWA and the Registered Customer allowing the former to occupy the premises of the latter

2.5.1.4. AWA recognition in Meralco system shall be prospectively applied to bills generated after the request for AWA recognition is approved, i.e. bills generated after successful AWA recognition in Meralco system shall have a withheld portion, that is, portion payable by BIR Form No. 2307 and/or BIR Form No. 2306.

2.5.1.5. AWA recognition will apply to all electric services under Your Meralco account.

2.5.1.6. Portion of Your bill/s payable through Your submission of BIR Forms Nos. 2307 and/or 2306 shall be posted in Your statement of account upon successful AWA recognition in Meralco system.

2.5.2. Submission of required withholding tax certificates

2.5.2.1. Private corporations and individual taxpayers designated as AWA shall be allowed to deduct CWT from bill payments subject to submission of duly executed Certificate of Creditable Withholding Tax at Source (BIR Form No. 2307).

2.5.2.2. Government entities shall be allowed to deduct CWT and FWV from bill payments subject to submission of duly executed BIR Form No. 2307 and Certificate of Final Tax Withheld at Source (BIR Form No. 2306), respectively.

2.5.2.3. Submitted BIR Forms Nos. 2306 and/or 2307 shall be applied to covered bills upon assessment of validity of said Forms. An invalid Form shall not be posted and shall require replacement.

2.5.2.4. Non-submission of valid BIR Forms Nos. 2306 and/or 2307 corresponding to the withholding tax portion of bill/s shall be tantamount to non-payment of such tax portion of bill/s, which may be a ground for the inclusion of electric service in delinquency management.

2.6. DASHBOARD FOR CONGLOMERATE MERALCO Online ACCOUNTS

The conglomerate dashboard allows You to view the summary details for the electric services enrolled under the Conglomerate account such as, but not limited to, balance from previous billing, billed amount for the month, payments made and outstanding balances.

3. FOR MERALCO Mobile Application Users Only

3.1. APPLIANCE CALCULATOR

3.1.1. You will be able to calculate the electrical consumption of an appliance.

3.1.2. You accept that the Appliance Calculator feature as provided is only intended to aid You in estimating Your electricity consumption and should in no way be construed or interpreted as a replacement bill. MERALCO makes no warranty, whether expressed or implied as to the accuracy, correctness, completeness or fitness for any intended use, of any of the information, updates and/or services provided by this application

3.2. BRIGHT IDEAS

3.2.1. You will be able to read about energy saving tips for Your Home.

3.3. BUSINESS CENTERS

3.3.1. You will be able to view a map that contains the locations and information of MERALCO Business Centers and Bayad Centers.

3.4. ORANGE TAG

3.4.1. You will be able to view a list of appliances tested by MERALCO.

3.4.2. You accept that the Orange Tag feature as provided is only intended to aid You in estimating Your electricity consumption and should in no way be construed or interpreted as a replacement bill. MERALCO makes no warranty, whether expressed or implied as to the accuracy, correctness, completeness or fitness for any intended use, of any of the information, updates and/or services provided by this application.

4. DISCLAIMERS

Third-party links and websites, including but not limited to, the MPAY page, are subject to different terms and conditions and privacy practices and You should review them independently. We shall not responsible or liable for the availability or accuracy of the contents of such third-party links and websites, or the content, products, or services available therein.

MERALCO shall not be liable for any loss, damage and any other consequence resulting directly or indirectly from or relating to: (i) the access by a Meralco Online/Mobile App user to third-party links and websites; (ii) any information that said user may provide or any transaction conducted on or via any third-party links and/or website; (iii) failure of any information, goods or services posted or offered at a third-party link and/or website; (iv) any error, omission or misrepresentation on a third-party link and/or website; (v) any computer virus arising from or system failure associated with a third-party link and/or website.

MERALCO does not endorse, approve, nor makes warranties, representations and undertaking related to the third-party link and websites.

ANNEX A – List of Acceptable IDs

I. List of Primary IDs

a. Barangay Certificate with picture, signature and dry seal
b. Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Voter’s ID
c. Driver’s License
d. Firearm’s License ID
e. Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS) ID
f. Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ID
g. National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance
h. Philippine Passport
i. Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) ID
j. Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Artist Record Book
k. Police Clearance
l. Postal ID
m. Professional Regulatory Commission License (PRC) ID
n. Senior Citizen ID
o. Social Security System (ID)
p. Tax Identification Number (TIN) ID
q. Unified Multipurpose ID
r. Any other Philippine (either local or national) or foreign government-issued ID with picture and signature

II. List of Secondary IDs

a. Company-issued IDs with picture and signature
b. Old version of GSIS, PhilHealth, SSS, TIN or Voter’s ID

ANNEX B – Paperless Billing Subscription Terms and Conditions

1. PAPERLESS BILLING OVERVIEW. Paperless Billing is a free service of MERALCO wherein a customer may opt to receive his monthly electric bills electronically instead of paper bills. The electronic copy of the bill may be accessed through a link in the bill notification sent to the customer’s enrolled primary email address, or directly through the customer’s MERALCO Online account. This billing facility is subject to ERC’s Rules on Electronic Billing and Communications for Electricity Consumers.

2. MERALCO ONLINE ACCOUNT. Prior to subscription to Paperless Billing, enrolment in the MERALCO Online account, which is free of charge, is required, subject to compliance with the requirements of MERALCO Online enrollment. Enrollment in MERALCO Online shall require a Service Identification Number (SIN). The customer will be required to nominate a password to ensure the security of the information within the MERALCO Online account. This password will be used to log in to the online account and to access his electronic bill.

3. MERALCO ACCOUNT SUBSCRIPTION TO PAPERLESS BILLING. Only the account holder (registered customer or actual user), with all SINs associated with him, enrolled in MERALCO Online is eligible for subscription to Paperless Billing. If new SINs are associated with the account holder after subscription to Paperless Billing, these new SINs shall automatically be subscribed to Paperless Billing. If SINs are disassociated from the account holder, they will automatically be unsubscribed from Paperless Billing. All Paperless Billing applications are subject to validation and internal processing.

4. CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. If the customer intending to subscribe to Paperless Billing is not the registered customer but has been previously named as the person authorized to receive the bill and whose name currently appears on the paper bill, subscription to Paperless Billing and all activities related thereto shall be subject to the following representation and warranties: (a) The customer represents and warrants that he has all rights and permissions necessary to provide MERALCO with information in connection with subscription to Paperless Billing and all activities related thereto; and (b) The customer represents and warrants that he has obtained consent and authorization from the registered customer to subscribe to Paperless Billing or to cancel his subscription thereof. The customer further agrees that MERALCO reserves the right to cancel his subscription to Paperless Billing at any time in order to protect its contract with the registered customer, with no liability on the part of MERALCO.

5. ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC BILLS. The customer will automatically receive his bill notifications via email. Thus, he is required to provide a current and valid email address which will be used by MERALCO for sending bill notifications. A back-up or secondary email address may also be provided. The customer will receive emails with a link to a copy of his monthly bill. Access to the link is password-protected – the customer needs to input his MERALCO Online account password when accessing electronic bills.

Electronic bills may also be viewed by logging in directly to the MERALCO Online Account. The online pdf copy of bills will only be available for viewing in the customer’s online account for thirteen (13) months from the date of posting. If the customer wishes to keep a personal copy of his bills beyond the bill availability period, the customer must download a copy from MERALCO Online.

6. CUSTOMER’S OBLIGATIONS. It shall be the responsibility of the customer to:

a. regularly check and monitor the monthly bill notifications sent via email or the online bill via MERALCO Online

b. ensure that there is always available space in his email inbox to allow receipt of new bill notifications.

c. ensure that the downloaded copy of the electronic bill is stored securely to avoid unauthorized access to the confidential information.

d. keep his MERALCO Online account username and password strictly confidential to avoid unauthorized log-in and be fully responsible for any unauthorized access or use of his log-in and security credentials.

e. update his contact details, including, but not limited to, his primary email address, secondary email address and SMS number, whenever necessary, and the name of the actual user. In the event that the customer’s contact details and the name of the actual user are not updated, MERALCO shall not be liable for the non-payment of bills due to non-receipt of electronic bills sent to the registered email address.

f. pay the amount due on or before the due date. Non-receipt of the electronic bill notification due to non-compliance to the customer’s obligations shall not suspend the running of the prescribed period to pay.

g. cancel his subscription to Paperless Billing if he is no longer authorized to receive the bills or the actual user of the electric service.

7. PRESUMPTION OF RECEIPT OF MONTHLY BILL SUBSCRIBED TO PAPERLESS BILLING. MERALCO shall email the bill notification within a day after the meter reading date, unless the bill was subjected to further internal validation by MERALCO. Customers under group billing will receive their bill notification within a day after the preferred statement date. The customer is presumed to have received the electronic bill if he does not inform MERALCO of the non-receipt thereof within five (5) days from the scheduled delivery of such bill. Proof of delivery of the electronic bill through the customer-provided email address shall be considered as receipt of said bill. In case of delivery failure, MERALCO will resend the same to the customer’s secondary email address, if any. Alternatively, the electronic bill may be accessed by the customer through MERALCO Online.

8. EFFECTIVITY. Paperless Billing subscription shall be effective upon signing of this Terms and Conditions. Paper bills will no longer be delivered starting next billing period.

9. CANCELLATION OF PAPERLESS BILLING SUBSCRIPTION. The customer can cancel his subscription to Paperless Billing after six (6) months from the effectivity of their subscription. Requests for paperless billing cancellation may be processed earlier than the said period for reasons deemed valid by MERALCO.

10. YEARLY PAPERLESS BILLING INFORMATION VERIFICATION. An annual reminder to confirm the authorization of receipt and to update customer contact details shall be sent to the customer’s registered email address. If no update was made by the customer, the existing subscription details shall be deemed correct and accurate by MERALCO.

11. OTHER COMMUNICATION. MERALCO may also send the customer other forms of account-related communication via email.

12. CONSENT. By signing this Terms and Conditions, the customer understands that his personal information is necessary for the provision by MERALCO of Paperless Billing, and he hereby gives his direct and full consent to MERALCO to process and store all information provided by him, personal, sensitive, privileged or otherwise, in relation to his subscription to Paperless Billing, subject to the requirements of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (the “Act”). The customer acknowledges further that any information provided by him has been publicly available or accessible before the enactment of the Act and continues to be public. The customer likewise acknowledges that all information provided by him shall be stored by MERALCO until he cancels his subscription to Paperless Billing.

13. ACCURATE AND COMPLETE INFORMATION. The customer guarantees that all information provided to MERALCO are accurate and complete to the best of his knowledge and holds MERALCO, its directors, officers, employees and agents free from any liability should the inaccuracy and incompleteness of the provided information be due to the action of the customer.

14. NO LIABILITY FOR DISCLOSURE BY THIRD PARTIES. The customer hereby holds MERALCO, its directors, officers, employees and agents free from any liability for any disclosure made by other persons or entities other than MERALCO of the personal information provided by him to MERALCO.

15. PRIVACY POLICY. Any data and information collected from the customer is subject to MERALCO’s Privacy Policy.