Bohol Light has addressed consumer complaints over billing discrepancies tied to bill deposits, with company officials saying the issue stemmed from a system labeling error rather than actual unpaid charges.
Company spokesperson Sheryl Paga said a small number of consumers had raised issues after their bill deposit amounts were mistakenly reflected on statements as overdue balances.
She said the company has since reached out to the affected customers and apologized for the mislabeling, attributing it to a system clarification error.
Paga said the company is monitoring its billing system to prevent similar errors going forward.
Paga explained that a consumer’s bill deposit is initially computed based on the electrical load plan submitted at the time of application, which determines the customer’s expected consumption.
She said the deposit is reviewed annually, during the month corresponding to the anniversary of the customer’s service contract — meaning accounts activated in July, for instance, undergo review each July.
The review determines whether the deposit remains aligned with the customer’s average annual consumption.
Paga said any excess amount is refunded, with refunds applied as a deduction to the customer’s amount due, in accordance with guidelines from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
The review process follows ERC Resolution No. 3, Series of 2026, which amended provisions of the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers concerning periodic review of bill deposits to ensure they remain proportional to actual consumption.
Paga acknowledged that Bohol Light, as a distribution utility, had not conducted such a review in several years and said the company is now undertaking it to determine whether adjustments or refunds are warranted, in compliance with the ERC directive.
Bohol Water Utilities Inc. spokesperson Victor Tambis also weighed in on the wider practice of bill deposits, saying such deposits serve as a security guarantee for distribution utilities and are returned to customers in due time.
Tambis said Bohol Water refunds deposits once a service contract is terminated and any outstanding arrears are settled, and that the deposit guarantees payment in cases where a customer is unable to settle a bill.
Both Tambis and Paga said bill deposits are not used for investment purposes and are instead held in separate accounts.