If Napocor is right in saying that its generation charge (P3.89/kwh) is cheaper than what is charged Meralco by the latter’s own independent power producers (P4.60), the good news is that "Napocor can bring down rates by another 20 centavos," according to Napocor president Cyril del Callar.

That’s on top of the 67 centavos discounted from January to March because of a stronger peso.

I woke up early last Saturday to be at Julius Fortuna’s breakfast forum at Sulo hotel, hoping to catch a three-cornered fight among Napocor, GSIS and Meralco. Julius didn’t say why Meralco was not represented, but between Cyril and GSIS spokesperson Estrella Elamparo, I heard an earful-much of it too technical for my consumer ears. (This consumer doesn’t need government operating a utility as vital as Meralco, and neither does GMA.)

The minutiae of power generation, distribution and transmission (P272.86 on my son’s bill) are difficult to justify to laymen, who understand only taxes (P266.80) and system loss (P222.06).

Meralco’s Oscar Lopez blames VAT for the high electricity rates. Senator Miriam Santiago blames a "cartel" of Mafiosi inside Meralco. GSIS president Winston Garcia blames Meralco management. Rep. Amado Bagatsing blames system loss. A little drawing on my son’s bill blames the summer heat. Cyril blames Epira — a "lopsided, unfair" law that regulates Napocor too much and the private sector not enough.

The way Rep. Fuentebella, one of the authors of Epira, said it on TV, the law was created to make power "affordable," whatever that means, and Congress would have to see if there were better ways of implementing the law, whatever that implies. After nearly eight years, what an electrifying admission!