Image: Instagram/@iamrichardyap
Actor Richard Yap shared with the public his frustration over a supposedly excessive electricity bill he received from the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s biggest power retailer.
Yap called out Meralco via Twitter yesterday, June 22 after being slapped with a bill of P55,652.01.
“A lot of people have been complaining about their @meralco bill,” the actor noted. “Instead of billing the average of 3 months, they have been multiplying our bill 3x.”
“How did our bill end up this big when we’ve been paying our monthly bills?” he wondered.
A lot of people have been complaining about their @meralco bill. Instead of billing the average of 3months they have been multiplying our bill 3x. How did our bill end up this big when we’ve been paying our monthly bills? pic.twitter.com/FCU39yDDSo
— Richard Yap (@ImRichardYap08) June 22, 2020
Meralco has since replied to Yap’s tweet, promising to investigate the matter and asked the actor to send the company a direct message.
Yap has yet to post an update on the issue. Several consumers, meanwhile, accused Meralco of ignoring their inquiries on similar issues while the company was quick to respond to an actor’s complaint.
One @sirsalad, for one, replied to Meralco’s tweet: “YOU DON’T EVEN REPLY TO YOUR DM’S.”
YOU DONT EVEN REPLY TO YOUR DM'S
— sherlock holmes (/◕ヮ◕)/ (@sirsalad_) June 22, 2020
Another Twitter user, who goes by the handle @sirprincepogi, meanwhile posted: “KAPAG ARTISTA ANG BILIS MAG REPLY! YUNG INQUIRY KO NOONG JUNE 17th PA, NASAAN ANG HUSTISYA?”
(When it comes to actors you are quick to reply! What about my inquiry last June 17th, where is the justice?)
KAPAG ARTISTA ANG BILIS MAG REPLY! YUNG INQUIRY KO NOONG JUNE 17th PA, NASAAN ANG HUSTISYA?#meralco
— Prince Mark (@siprincepogi) June 22, 2020
“Puro automated replies. [‘Di] nagbabasa mga yan at wala silang pakielam. Gusto nila magbayad tayo ng bills na hindi makatao,” Twitter user @notsograu meanwhile replied.
(They only send automated replies. These guys do not read and do not care. They want us to pay bills that are inhumane.)
Puro automated replies. Di nagbabasa mga yan at wala silang pakielam. Gusto nila magbayad tayo ng bills na hindi makatao.
— Not So Meow (@notsograu) June 22, 2020
Meralco’s new payment scheme amid the pandemic last month drew controversy after several consumers complained about being asked to pay what they said were unusually high charges.
The power retailer imposed an average scheme for electric bills based on three months of power usage since actual power reading was suspended because of the quarantine.
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) earlier this month issued a show-cause order to Meralco, giving the power distributor 10 days to explain its alleged guideline violations the commission imposed during the pandemic. NVG
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