NextGen Day

MANILA – The government is set to launch the Lifeline Rate program next month, assisting low-income households struggling to pay their electricity bills.

Under this subsidized rate initiative, qualified low-income electricity customers who cannot afford to pay their electricity bills in full will receive aid.

Beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or those living below the poverty threshold set by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) can apply for the program.

Each qualified household can receive a lifeline rate from only one Distribution Utility (DU)/Electric Cooperative (EC) service.

To apply for the program, beneficiaries must submit duly accomplished Lifeline Rate application forms, their most recent electricity bills, and any valid government-issued identification cards showing the applicant’s signature and address.

Those living below the poverty threshold must also submit a certification from the local Social Welfare and Development Office (SWDO) issued within the last six months, confirming their family income falls below the applicable poverty threshold at the time of application.

The rollout of the program has been moved to September to allow more time for qualified customers to register.

As of July 31 this year, the Energy Regulatory Commission reported that only 12,829 household beneficiaries of 4Ps out of 4.2 million household members have applied for the Lifeline Rate program.

The Lifeline Rate program’s validity is based on the annual certified list of 4Ps beneficiaries provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Eligible customers can continue to receive the Lifeline Rate as long as they remain on the updated list. If delisted, they may apply for a local SWDO certification if they still live below the poverty line and reapply for the Lifeline Rate.

For non-4Ps beneficiaries, the Lifeline Rate will have a three-year validity from the date of issuance of certification by the local SWDO.

The discount rate varies depending on the prevailing rates of the DUs or ECs.

In the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) franchise area, lifeline end-users with zero to 20 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of monthly consumption will receive a 100-percent discount on the generation charges, including system loss, transmission, and distribution components of their bill, except for the fixed metering charge of PHP5. This means they will pay only around PHP20 from their electric bills instead of the usual PHP250 if they do not avail of the Lifeline Rate.

Those using 21-50 kWh will pay around PHP300, while those in the 51-70 kWh consumption bracket will pay approximately PHP522.90.

Meanwhile, customers consuming 71-100 kWh will only pay PHP904.21 instead of the undiscounted rate of PHP1,099.10 if they do not apply for the Lifeline Rate.

This program aims to alleviate the burden of electricity costs for low-income families and ensure access to essential utilities.

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