OPTIONS FOR REDUCING MERALCO BILLS
Ditas A. Garcia
Apart from obtaining some relief
with recent amendments to the controversial PPA, Caltex dealers
may want to look at two other ways of reducing their electricity
bills.
Option One
Downgrade the station's Demand Charge if power consumption is
considerably less. This project, which was initiated by the
Association, was turned over to CPI for assessment and possible
implementation. CPI, having run tests at a pilot site, has found
that this option gave the retailer savings of about P5,000.00
a month. This being the case, CPI is now ready to roll out the
program. Target sites are new-image stations with no Star Mart.
To know if you qualify, work through
the following steps.
1.
If you are a new-image station
with a Demand Charge or Guaranteed Minimum Billing Demand (GMBD)
fixed at 40 kw and your monthly power consumption is substantially
lower than that, you qualify.
An example is the pilot site where
Meralco bills ranged from P32,000 to P40,000 monthly, on a power
load of typically 12-16 kw while Demand Charge was fixed at
the maximum of 40 kw.
2.
Meralco will entertain only
applications filed by CPI through Meralco's district offices.
CPI, therefore, suggests that applications be done by area.
Ask for the help of your Field Manager in identifying other
potentially eligible sites in your area. Only when you have
compiled the required documents from all eligible stations in
the area should you send these to CPI.
3.
Submit photocopies of your
6 latest Meralco billings to CPI for evaluation. Contact person
is: