The Negros Oriental II Electric Cooperative has issued guidelines on its policies on disconnection, retirement and termination of electric service in accordance with the Magna Carta for residential electricity consumers.
NORECO II said in a media release Friday that a grace period is accorded to member-consumer-owners for the payment of electric bills.
This is to give sufficient time for the MCOs to settle their monthly obligations once they receive their electric bill or statement of account.
The grace period is nine days from receipt of the electric bill or seven days from due date.
After the lapse of the grace period, an unpaid electric bill will mean delinquency and the electric service is subject to disconnection.
Prior to disconnection, a written 48-hour notice of disconnection will be served to the MCO to provide adequate time for the MCO to settle his obligation and suspend the disconnection of electric service.
In the event of disconnection, if after 30 days from the date of disconnection the MCO has failed to settle his obligation with the cooperative and has not initiated the reconnection of the electric service, retirement of facilities shall become mandatory.
Retirement of electric service is the removal of all facilities necessary for the provision of electric service, such as, but not limited to service drop wires, meter base, wattmeter and other accessories of the service entrance and metering facilities. Retirement of electric service does not mean termination of the electric service contract.
However, if the electric service of the MCO has been disconnected because of unpaid bills and the said service has not been reconnected within a period of three months from disconnection, NORECO II will terminate the electric service contract of the MCO.
Consequently, NORECO II encourages everyone to pay their electric bills on time to avoid the surcharges and interest fees imposed on delinquent accounts and the inconvenience of disconnection of electric service. (PNA)
