Meralco rates climb higher in March
Meralco’s overall household rate rose to P12.2901 per kWh this month from P12.0262 in February, translating to an additional P53 for residential customers consuming 200 kwh
Daily TribuneMeralco’s overall household rate rose to P12.2901 per kWh this month from P12.0262 in February, translating to an additional P53 for residential customers consuming 200 kwh
A lineman fixes a wire atop a Meralco electric post. Meralco says power bills will increase this month, mainly because of the absence of last month’s one-time reset fee adjustment of P0.2264 per kWh.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANALY LABOR FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNE
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) customers will see higher electricity bills this month as rates increased by P0.2639 per kWh — marking the second consecutive monthly hike.
Meralco’s overall household rate rose to P12.2901 per kWh this month from P12.0262 in February, translating to an additional P53 for residential customers consuming 200 kWh.
At a media briefing on Tuesday, Meralco vice president and head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga attributed the increase mainly to the absence of last month’s one-time reset fee adjustment of P0.2264 per kWh.
The rate hike was also driven by a higher transmission charge of P0.1294 per kWh due to increased ancillary service costs and a P0.0351 per kWh rise in the Feed-in Tariff Allowance (FIT-All) following an Energy Regulatory Commission directive. Other taxes and charges recorded a net increase of P0.0416 per kWh.
‘We remind our customers to observe electrical safety, especially with the dry season fast approaching, as many household fires stem from faulty wiring, overloaded outlets, or improper use of appliances.’
Partially offsetting the adjustment was a P0.1686 per kWh decline in the generation charge to P7.0517 per kWh, reflecting lower costs from Independent Power Producers, Power Supply Agreements, and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.
A stronger peso helped reduce costs from dollar-denominated contracts, while improved power supply conditions in Luzon contributed to lower spot market charges.
Meralco stressed that generation and transmission charges are pass-through costs paid to suppliers and the grid operator, while taxes and FIT-All are remitted to the government. The company’s distribution charge has remained unchanged since its last reduction in August 2022.
“We remind our customers to observe electrical safety, especially with the dry season fast approaching, as many household fires stem from faulty wiring, overloaded outlets, or improper use of appliances,” Zaldarriaga said.
