THE House Committee on Energy on Monday approved substitute bills seeking to stop electricity distribution utilities from passing system loss charges on to consumers and expand household access to power generation and storage systems.
Chaired by Palawan Rep. Jose Alvarez, the committee approved the proposed measures and their corresponding committee reports following the filing of 43 House bills and two House resolutions seeking to end the practice of making consumers shoulder costs arising from non-technical electricity losses.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had identified the issue for legislative scrutiny in his latest State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, co-authors of House Bill 10430, said the proposed measure would provide relief to Filipino consumers by removing charges that should be shouldered by entities responsible for managing and operating electricity distribution networks.
Cagayan de Oro 1st District Rep. Lordan Suan, author of HB 10299, also criticized the practice of passing system loss costs on to captive consumers, calling it unfair.
“It is unjust to pay for electricity you do not consume,” Suan said, stressing that the practice runs counter to business efficiency and accountability.
The panel also approved a substitute bill for the proposed “Sariling Kuryente Act,” which seeks to encourage households to install their own power generation and storage systems, particularly those using solar energy and emerging storage technologies.
The measure aims to lower household electricity expenses, reduce dependence on the power grid and help improve the country’s overall electricity supply.
Under the proposal, regulatory requirements for the safe installation and operation of non-commercial power generation and storage systems would be simplified to make these technologies more accessible to the public.
Proponents said unnecessary procedures and restrictions have discouraged wider adoption of these systems, limiting investments that could benefit households, businesses and the country.
Both proposed measures seek to amend Republic Act No. 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001, once enacted into law.
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