Demystifying another ‘hidden’ charge in electric bills

IN hearings in the Senate and House of Representatives last week and this week, an issue was raised by lawmakers that might be a complete mystery to most consumers, particularly those in Luzon and Mindanao. It is called “line rental,” and is another cost component of consumers’ bills in some parts of the country, mainly in the Visayas. The subject has come up before in the clown school that passes for a legislature in this country but has attracted renewed interest in the past days due to the uproar over system loss and other extra charges on consumers’ electric bills.