THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is set to extend its suspension of electricity service disconnections for another two months, giving consumers more time to settle unpaid power bills.
ERC Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Francis Saturnino C. Juan said the agency will expand the initiative from November to December.
“We will release it within the month, as it was supposedly set to end in October. We have already discussed among the commission that we will extend it, but with a more limited scope,” he said at the sidelines of the ASEAN Energy Business Forum 2026 on Monday.
Mr. Juan said, however, that the no-disconnection policy would be limited to households consuming 200 kilowatt-hour or less.
The move is the second electricity disconnection relief given by the ERC after extending the policy from August to October.
The ERC first made the move in May to ease the burden of consumers due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the resulting imminent danger posed on the availability and stability of the country’s energy supply.
“We have also received numerous requests from our utilities, including electric cooperatives, because of the no-disconnection policy that applies to all of their customers, including large commercial and industrial customers, many of their customers are not able to pay their bills on time,” Mr. Juan said.
“However, the utilities still need to pay their suppliers, including NGCP (National Grid Corp. of the Philippines), on time. As a result, their cash flow is being affected. Their operations are becoming financially tight,” he added. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera