Heat, higher demand push up Meralco November bill

Warmer temperatures and rising electricity demand in October are pushing up power bills for Manila Electric Company (Meralco) customers this November, adding nearly P100 to the monthly expenses of typical households.

Meralco announced on Friday a P0.4895-per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) increase in electricity rates, bringing the overall residential rate to P15.5510 per kWh from P15.0615 in October.

For households consuming 200 kWh monthly, the adjustment translates to an additional P98 in their electricity bills.

The increase was largely driven by higher generation charges, which climbed by P0.4344 per kWh amid rising power supply costs, a weaker peso, and the ongoing Middle East crisis.

Charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) also surged by P4.3946 per kWh as warmer weather pushed average electricity demand in Luzon higher by around 769 megawatts in October.

Meralco noted that temperatures during the month were even warmer than those recorded in October 2024, the last El Niño event.

The increase was partly offset by a P0.2769-per-kWh reduction in charges from power supply agreements due to higher dispatch.

Meanwhile, Meralco is implementing a new six-month refund equivalent to P0.1733 per kWh for residential customers, helping cushion the impact of higher electricity costs.

This is on top of two existing refunds totaling P1.0139 per kWh.

Meralco also reminded customers that unpaid electricity bills from May to July must be settled by 26 November, while those covering August to October are due by 26 December.

The suspension of disconnections for households consuming 200 kWh or less monthly remains in effect until December, provided that outstanding bills from May to July are settled by the prescribed deadline.