The Department of Energy (DOE) has established a new Joint Task Force alongside the Energy Regulatory Commission, the National Electrification Administration, and electric cooperatives to help remove system loss charges and related value-added tax from power bills. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin emphasized the administration’s stance that consumers should only pay for the electricity they actually consume, rather than bearing the cost of losses they did not cause.
To advance these consumer protection reforms, the DOE is coordinating technical, regulatory, and legislative efforts with both rural cooperatives and private distribution utilities, including Meralco. Beyond legislative changes, the task force will work to reduce electricity losses directly by upgrading distribution networks, curbing power theft, and improving overall operational efficiency to ensure long-term energy reliability.
