Following the Manila Electric Company’s (Meralco) commitment to return P9.5 billion to its customers as ordered by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), Malacañang said more than 8 million consumers are expected to benefit from the refund.

On Monday, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the refund is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s efforts to ease the financial burden on Filipino families.

Castro said that under the ERC’s 31 July decision, Meralco was directed to refund customers at a rate of P0.3448 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) over six months.

“Makakaasa ang mga residential customers ng Meralco na makakatanggap sila ng refund rate na P0.5861 per kWh,” she added.

Castro said a household consuming 200 kWh per month could receive a refund of more than P100.

She added that, according to ERC Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Francis Saturnino Juan, the refund will take effect in the next billing cycle and must be clearly reflected in consumers’ electricity bills.

In a statement on Sunday, Meralco said it supports the government's efforts to provide relief to consumers and will comply with the ERC's directive.

Meralco Senior Vice President and Head of Regulatory Management Jose Ronald V. Valles said the company itself filed two separate refund applications in 2025 and early 2026 covering the periods January to June 2025 and July to December 2025, respectively, in compliance with the ERC’s performance-based regulation framework.

The applications sought confirmation of Meralco’s Actual Weighted Average Tariff (AWAT), a regulatory mechanism that compares a utility’s actual distribution tariff with its approved rates.

Depending on the outcome of the true-up process, a distribution utility may either refund excess collections or recover any shortfall.