INTERRUPTIBLE

LOAD PROGRAM
protocol guide

INTERRUPTIBLE LOAD PROGRAM protocol guide 28

 What is the Interruptible Load Program (ILP)?
The ILP is a demand-side management solution implemented by the Department of Energy
(DoE) to help mitigate a power supply deficiency in the power grid.

ILP is open to all MERALCO non-contestable and contestable customers with:

• Peak demand of at least 1MW within the immediate preceding 12 months
• Load-Profile recording capable meter
• Self-generating power capability

How does ILP work?

Customers with demand of at least 1MW
are called upon to voluntarily de-load by
reducing the number of load connected to the
distribution grid during the peak hours of the day
by either shifting the loads to generator set or by
disconnecting the loads momentarily. Identified
peak-periods in relation to ILP are as follows:

For non-contestable and contestable customers:

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
12:00 p.m – 3:00 p.m.

To better implement the protocol,

MERALCO Call Center has set-up the following
contact details dedicated to ILP customers:

This manual aims to help customers

ILP Hotline*: (02) 632-8118 *Standard rates apply
who are enrolled in the Interruptible
Load Program (ILP), or who are SMS**: 0920-9716211 (SMART) ** For notifications via SMS,
0917-5516211 (GLOBE) please follow the following
considering to participate in the 0925-7716211 (SUN) SMS format:
ILP, understand its objective and If joining, please send: ILP YES
operational mechanics. E-mail address***: <Establishment Name> <SIN>
callcenter.tech.assist@meralco.com.ph <de-loading capacity in MW>
If NOT joining, please send:
copyright c 2015 NOTE: Confirmation of customers’ ILP NO <Establishment Name>
This Interruptible Load Program Protocol Guide is owned by Meralco and is
participation that is NOT COURSED through <SIN> <Reason for not joining>
protected by Copyright and other Intellectual Property Rights. No portion of Meralco Call Center (i.e. other Meralco
this Handbook may be copied or reproduced in books, pamphlets, outlines personnel or Relationship Managers) WILL *** Kindly follow the
or notes, whether printed, mimeographed, typewritten, copied in different NOT be considered as an official advice prescribed format specified in
electronic devices or in any other form, for distribution or sale, without the
from the customers. the message
written permission of Meralco except brief passages in books, articles,
reviews, legal papers, and judicial or other official proceedings and as may
be allowed by the Intellectual Property Code.

29 INTERRUPTIBLE LOAD PROGRAM protocol guide INTERRUPTIBLE LOAD PROGRAM protocol guide 1
HOW CAN CUSTOMERS ENROLL INTO ILP?
1 I want to
join the ILP.
HOW WILL ILP BE ACTIVATED?
MERALCO will receive a notification from the National Grid Corporation of the
1
Qualified non-contestable customers should Philippines (NGCP) that there is an anticipated power supply deficiency the
contact their respective Relationship Manager (RM) following day.
to express their intention to join the ILP. The RM will
evaluate the customers’ qualifications.
Different types of Alerts:
Qualified contestable customers should contact
their respective Retail Electricity Supplier (RES) to Definition of terms
Total Requirement
express their intention to join the ILP. The RES will
evaluate the customers’ qualifications. In turn, RES

NORMAL STATE
will forward to MERALCO the list of customers who Dispatchable reserve
rm/res Dispatchable Reserve
have signified their intention to support the ILP.
Backup generating units to
Contingency reserve replenish the contigency reserve.

YELLOW ALERT
Regulating Contingency Reserve

Available MW
Qualified customers are required to submit the following information to the RMs (for
2 reserve

RED ALERT
non-contestable customers) or to the RES (for contestable customers): Backup generating units that can
respond to change in frequency
MW demand committed for de-loading caused by a loss of large
Preferred schedule for de-loading of non-contestable and contestable customers: generating unit.
Consumer
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. demand
12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Regulating Reserve
This addresses the temporary
Names of the three authorized representatives who can decide on behalf of the variation in load and unintended
company regarding participation during ILP implementation fluctuation in generation.
Contact details (mobile phone numbers and email addresses) of the three
authorized representatives. RED ALERT Consumer demand
Any of the following: Demand consumed by the
• Contingency reserve end-users.
requirements is zero
RM 23
03 • Generation
Qualified non-contestable customers will
3 also be requested to submit to MERALCO
BIR FO deficiency exists
their Certificate of Registration (BIR Form CONTRACT

2303) in order to facilitate payment. YELLOW ALERT

Upon the submission of the requirements • Contingency reserve is less than capacity of largest Synchronized
to the RMs or RES, customers will be Generating Unit
requested to sign a contract (for non-
contestable customers) or a tripartite
agreement (for contestable customers). NORMAL ALERT (WHITE)
• Working within normal operating limits of System Frequency, Voltage, and all

2 INTERRUPTIBLE LOAD PROGRAM protocol guide INTERRUPTIBLE LOAD PROGRAM protocol guide 3
 To provide the customers ample time to prepare, MERALCO will call customers
2 whenever there are indications of power shortage.
Following are the steps that MERALCO will undertake based on different power supply
shortfall situations.
FOR YELLOW ALERT
Yellow alert level means prepare for a possible ILP activation.
• MERALCO Call Center will contact customers’ authorized representatives via
mobile phone call, SMS and email. Customers will be alerted by MERALCO
Call Center based on the customers’ committed de-loading schedule:
*Customers considered to have FLEXIBLE de-loading schedule may be called upon
to de-load anytime.
• If customers are contacted to join the ILP activation, they should immediately
signify their intention to participate and the capacity they are willing to de-load.
MERALCO Call Center will promptly acknowledge all responses from customers.
• Customers are requested to make all the necessary preparations to operate
their generator sets once notified by MERALCO.
• There may be cases when the customer will not be able to de-load due to
emergency reasons. In such cases, the customer should provide MERALCO
valid reason/s why it cannot de-load and an estimated time when the
problem is expected to be resolved. MERALCO will document these details
and include them in the reports regularly submitted to the Energy Regulatory
Commission (ERC).
4 INTERRUPTIBLE LOAD PROGRAM protocol guide
FOR YELLOW ALERT THAT PROGRESSES TO RED ALERT
If the power supply deficiency reaches the red alert level, ILP will be activated. The following
will be protocol for customers who have received prior notification:
• MERALCO Call Center will contact the customers’ authorized representatives
via mobile phone call, SMS and email. Customers NEED to CONFIRM their
participation by replying to the phone call, SMS and email.
NOTE: Confirmation of customers’ participation that is NOT COURSED
through the Meralco Call Center (i.e. other Meralco personnel or Relationship
Managers) WILL NOT be considered as an official advice from the customers.
• Customers are requested to make all necessary preparations to operate their
generator set. After they received the FINAL NOTIFICATION from MERALCO
Call Center, customers may start to de-load within the agreed pre-determined
schedule as advised by MERALCO Call Center.
• Once the customers’ scheduled de-loading time ends, customers may start
connecting back to MERALCO distribution lines.
• In unforeseen situations when a red alert status is extended by NGCP,
MERALCO may request customers to extend the ILP beyond the initial agreed
de-loading period. In such scenario, MERALCO Call Center will send another
set of notifications to alert customers that the de-loading period needs to
be extended. The customers may or may not continue to de-load over the
agreed extension period.
FOR SUDDEN RED ALERT
There will be cases wherein power supply deficiency immediately reaches the red alert
status level and will warrant an emergency ILP activation.
• MERALCO Call Center will only provide ONE notification during Emergency
ILP Activation. This single notification serves as the final notification and
customers are expected to de-load on the specified de-loading period.
NOTE: Confirmation of customers’ participation that is NOT COURSED
through the Meralco Call Center (i.e. other Meralco personnel or Relationship
Managers) WILL NOT be considered as an official advice from the customers.
INTERRUPTIBLE LOAD PROGRAM protocol guide 5
 • Part of the notification from MERALCO includes the required de-loading time
frame for the current emergency ILP activation.
• Customers should start de-loading once customers receive the emergency
notification and de-loading instructions from MERALCO Call Center.
• Once the de-loading duration ends, customers may start connecting back to
the MERALCO distribution lines.
D. Upon receipt of compensation:
• In case the emergency ILP activation is extended, MERALCO Call Center will
provide notification for such scenario. Similarly, the customers have the
option to continue de-loading or not.
C. MERALCO will process the payment of the de-loading compensation within 30
calendar days upon receipt of the signed conforme letter.
• For non-contestable customers, the RM will inform customers when the
check is ready for pick-up or when the payment is ready to be transferred to
the customers’ designated bank account.
• For contestable customers, they should coordinate with their respective RES
for the processing and release of their compensation.
• Non-contestable customers are requested to provide an official receipt to
MERALCO that is compliant with existing BIR regulations.
• Contestable customers are requested to confer with the requirements of
their respective RES.

E. The de-loading compensation will be computed using the following formula:

Please take note that a sudden drop in the supply of electric power in the Grid
may force MERALCO to initiate rotating brownouts. Thus, if the customer is
called upon for an emergency ILP activation but is unable to join, then the
( Incremental
Deloading Rate x Compensable
kWh ) + Maintenance
Cost = DE-LOADING
COMPENSATION

customer may be affected by the rotating brownouts.

Definition of terms

WILL CUSTOMERS BE COMPENSATED FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE ILP?

Compensable kWh is the estimated de-loaded kWh of the customer during ILP
IF YES, HOW WILL CUSTOMERS BE COMPENSATED?
activation. It is computed by getting the difference between estimated kWh
Yes, ILP participants will be compensated for the actual capacity de-loaded within the
and the actual metered kWh during ILP activation. The estimated kWh will be
agreed period on the day of the ILP implementation.
based on the baseline load shape* of the customer had it not de-loaded.
A. Customers will receive a conforme letter from MERALCO (if the customer is a non- *Baseline Load Shape represents the expected movement of the hourly
contestable customer) or from the RES (if the customer is a contestable customer)
level of consumption of the customer during its normal daily operations. The
advising of its actual de-loaded capacity and the corresponding compensation. This
baseline load shape, represented by a 24 hour typical load profile, is derived
conforme letter will be delivered to the customers within seven business days (any
from customer’s historical daily consumption from the immediate past 12
time between Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) from the next immediate regular
months prior to the signing of the contract. In order to capture a more accurate
meter reading day.
de-loaded kWh, MERALCO will use a typical 7 day-24hr baseline load shapes
for each of the dry and wet seasons taking into consideration consumption
B. Customers are requested to validate the content of the conforme letter. The behavior during these seasons. Dry season covers the period January to June
customers’ authorized representatives should affix their signature on the conforme
while wet season covers the period July to December.
letter. The signed document must be returned to MERALCO or to its RES within eight
business days from the day the conforme letter was received. MERALCO will only
Incremental De-loading Rate
process the payment once it receives the signed conforme letter.

( )
Fuel Participating INCREMENTAL
Generation
Cost of Fuel xConsumption - Customer’s = DELOADING
Rate Average Rate RATE

6 INTERRUPTIBLE LOAD PROGRAM protocol guide INTERRUPTIBLE LOAD PROGRAM protocol guide 7
 Where:
• Generation Cost of Fuel = the average price of diesel fuel from Petron,
Shell and Caltex as of the end of the previous calendar month in the city or
municipality where the participating customer is located. This will be based on
the data of the DoE.
• Fuel Consumption Rate = the fuel consumption rate is set at 0.34 L/kWh.
• Participating Customer’s Average Rate = the average PhP/kWh of the
participating customer’s current billing period. For contestable customers, this
data will come from their respective RES.
Maintenance Cost. The additional maintenance cost is to compensate the
depreciation for the use of the generating facility of the customer during ILP
activation. The maintenance cost is set at PhP 0.32/kWh.
f. MERALCO will only compensate customers who confirm their participation to the
ILP activation. Only confirmation coursed through the MERALCO Call Center will be
considered as official advice from the customers to participate.
g. MERALCO will not compensate for de-loaded capacity beyond the agreed period,
unless there is an official advice to participate in the extension period and customers
confirm their intention to participate in the same.
IF CUSTOMERS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE ILP ON A SPECIFIC DATE
AND TIME, WILL THEY STILL BE CALLED UPON TO DE-LOAD ITS
CAPACITY IN THE NEXT ROUND OF POWER SUPPLY SHORTAGE?
Yes, there is that possibility to call upon customers who have already participated in
previous rounds of ILP implementation, depending on the availability of power supply.
The level of supply deficiency dictates the capacity that needs to be de-loaded from the
electric grid.
IF CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN CALLED UPON TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ILP
FOR A SPECIFIC DAY AND TIME, BUT THE ILP IMPLEMENTATION DOES
NOT PUSH THROUGH, WILL THEY STILL BE CALLED UPON TO DE-LOAD
CAPACITY FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF SUPPLY SHORTAGE?
This will depend on the capacity of power supply deficiency. The lower the level of the
power supply, the higher are the chances that customers will be called upon to join
the implementation. To avoid disruptions to customers’ daily operations during an ILP
implementation, MERALCO will exert every effort to provide early notifications to enable
ample preparation time.
WILL PARTICIPATION IN THE ILP EXEMPT PARTICIPATING CUSTOMERS
FROM ROTATING BROWNOUTS?
Every effort will be exerted to spare the ILP customers from rotating brownouts, UNLESS
the power supply inadequacy demands a NO EXCEPTION policy.

IF THERE IS AN OFFICIAL ADVICE FROM MERALCO TO EXTEND

THE DE-LOADING PERIOD AND CUSTOMERS AGREE TO CONTINUE
PARTICIPATING, WILL THEY BE COMPENSATED FOR THE DE-LOADED
CAPACITY OVER THE EXTENDED PERIOD?
Yes, customers will be compensated.

WHO DO CUSTOMERS CALL IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ON ILP?

For non-contestable customers, please call your RM or call the MERALCO ILP Hotline at
(02) 632-8118. For contestable customers, please call your RES. Customers may also get in
touch with the DoE Electric Power Industry Management Bureau at (02) 840-1773.

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 copyright c 2015

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