Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Company (Meralco) is expanding its smart meter rollout to help communities shift from unsafe, illegal power lines to safe, legitimate electricity access. 

Meralco First Vice President and Head of Networks Froilan J. Savet  told Power Philippines illegal service connections remain one of the top causes of electrical fires, electrocution, and overloading in many areas. Savet said these connections bypass design standards and put lives and property at risk.

“The hazard present in illegal service connections is the overloading of our facilities,” Savet said. “Since they connect illegally, these are non-standard. They really pose a danger not only to their property or ours, but also a risk to the residents because of fire and electrocution.”

Meralco teams regularly encounter unsafe wiring when removing unauthorized connections. Savet said this work often places line personnel in danger.

Smart meters for safer, legitimate power

To reduce tampering and improve safety, Meralco is accelerating the installation of smart meters, designed to detect outages, alert against tampering, and allow remote meter reading.

“Right now, we have around 171,000 smart meters installed as of end-October,” Savet said. “By the end of the year, that will reach 190,000.”

The company plans to scale up to 12 million smart meters over the next decade. These devices are equipped with prepaid options, outage notifications, tamper alerts, and even future capability for solar rooftop integration.

“These meters can be used in the future as a gateway for solar rooftop installations,” Savet said. “They also let consumers manage their electricity better and help us detect problems faster.”

Meralco’s use of smart meters also allows customers to reconnect or disconnect remotely in emergencies, avoiding unsafe manual intervention.

Community-led electrification

Beyond technology, Meralco is actively working with barangays and LGUs to help informal communities legitimize their power connections. Many residents, Savet said, want to comply but are forced to tap into unsafe lines due to lack of access.

“Most of them really want to have legitimate electricity,” he said. “They are just being forced because some people or groups are tapping and selling electricity. We encourage them, we reach out, we help them legitimize their connection.”

Meralco’s business centers coordinate with barangay officials to process applications and ensure every household has a safe, registered connection. Savet said these projects are often initiated by residents themselves.

“We did not initiate the construction of the meters,” he said. “This is actually a request from the community. They sign and ask for approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission. They want electricity that’s legal and safe.”

Protecting homes and saving lives

Savet emphasized that community awareness and partnership are central to Meralco’s approach. The company engages local leaders and households before upgrading connections, explaining how smart metering and proper installation protect lives and property.

“We engage the barangay officials, the community, and the LGU. Awareness is key,” he said. “This is done to preserve their property and to protect their lives.”

Through these combined efforts, Meralco aims to end unsafe wiring practices and create a smarter, safer, and more equitable power network.

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