A TOTAL of 744 customers have switched to sourcing their power supply from distribution utilities to retail electricity suppliers (RES) after rules on retail competition and open access (RCOA) came into effect, officials of the central registry of retail power users said.

However, the number of switching customers may well ease as the same rules were put on hold by the Supreme Court with the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO).

“Based on our records there were indeed deferrals after the TRO issuance,” Phillip C. Adviento, Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC) training and communications manager, told reporters.

“If there were something LIKE 300 before, almost half deferred [and] withdrew from switching,” he added.

“They always say it’s because of the TRO and management decisions,” he said.

The legal block was sought by a number of petitioners, including colleges, which pointed out that Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA) does not call for a mandatory switch for customers to buy their electricity from a distribution utility to a RES. – See more at: http://www.m.bworldonline.com/m_content.php?section=Economy&id=142580#sthash.UtXf6XdD.dpuf

Read more here.