Gatchalian urges ERC to fast-track retail power competition for households
October 28, 2024
Gatchalian urges ERC to fast-track retail power competition for households
Senator Win Gatchalian urged the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to fast-track a transition plan for implementing the Retail Competition Open Access (RCOA) down to the household level to enable retail consumers to tap the most competitive electricity supplier.
"The aspiration is to bring competition all the way down to the household level," said Gatchalian, aiming to give ordinary consumers more control over their electricity supply.
RCOA, initially implemented in 2013, currently allows consumers with a monthly peak demand of at least 500 kilowatts (kW) to switch to retail electricity suppliers within the Competitive Retail Electricity Market (CREM) due to lower rates compared to traditional distribution utilities.
To further drive this initiative, Gatchalian urged the ERC to lower the eligibility, enabling more consumers to participate. He emphasized that while the RCOA cannot be implemented immediately on households due to technical constraints, the ERC needs to put in place a transition plan.
"Without the transition plan, the distribution utilities will not move because the status quo is beneficial to them. What we want is for the consumers to be empowered," Gatchalian said.
As part of the transition plan, the ERC may allow voluntary transition for consumers who can afford to shoulder the cost of the meter needed to implement RCOA, he added.
According to the vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Energy, the ERC needs to pave the way as soon as possible for the implementation of RCOA on households as it would enhance competition and consumer choice while promoting greater reliability and affordability of electricity. A system similar to RCOA is already being implemented in many countries including Singapore and the United Kingdom, he noted.
"I am not forcing the commission to do it tomorrow. But we need to see that transition already," he ended.
Gatchalian hinimok ang ERC na pabilisin ang retail power competition para sa mga kabahayan
Hinimok ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) na paspasan ang transition plan para sa pagpapatupad ng Retail Competition Open Access (RCOA) hanggang sa lebel ng mga kabahayan upang bigyang-daan ang mga konsyumer na mamili ng pinaka competitive na supplier ng kuryente.
Ang pagpapatupad kasi ng RCOA ay magdudulot ng masiglang kompetisyon sa merkado kapag nagkaroon ng pagpipilian ang mga konsyumer, na sa kalaunan ay magiging daan upang bumaba ang singil sa kuryente at maging stable ang suplay.
Sinabi din ng mambabatas na ang isang sistemang katulad ng RCOA ay naipapatupad na sa maraming bansa kabilang ang Singapore at United Kingdom.
"Ang adhikain ay dalhin ang kompetisyon hanggang sa antas ng mga kabahayan,"sabi ni Gatchalian, na naglalayong bigyan ang mga ordinaryong mamimili ng higit na kontrol sa kanilang suplay ng kuryente.
Ang RCOA, na unang ipinatupad noong 2013, ay kasalukuyang nagbibigay-daan sa mga konsyumer na may buwanang peak demand na hindi bababa sa 500 kilowatts (kW) na lumipat sa retail electricity supplier sa loob ng Competitive Retail Electricity Market (CREM) dahil sa mas mababang rate kumpara sa mga tradisyonal na distribution utilities.
Upang higit pang isulong ang inisyatiba, hinimok ni Gatchalian ang ERC na babaan ang eligibility upang magbigay-daan sa mas maraming mga mamimili na lumahok. Binigyang-diin niya na bagama't hindi kaagad maipapatupad ang RCOA sa mga kabahayan dahil sa mga hadlang na pang teknikal, kinakailangan na ngang maglabas ng transition plan ang ERC.
"Kung wala ang transition plan, hindi gagalaw ang distribution utilities dahil mas paborable sa kanila ang status quo. Ang gusto natin ay mabigyan ng kapangyarihan ang mga mamimili," ani Gatchalian.
Bilang bahagi ng transition plan, maaaring payagan ng ERC ang boluntaryong pag-transition o paglipat para sa mga mamimili na kayang bayaran ang halaga ng metrong kailangan para ipatupad ang RCOA, dagdag ng mambabatas.
"Hindi ko pinipilit ang komisyon na ipatupad na ito bukas. Ang sinasabi ko lang ay kailangan na ng transition plan upang mas marami ang maka-avail ng naturang programa," pagtatapos niya.
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