Meralco bills to rise in August

Power distributor Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) announced on Tuesday, Aug. 12, an increase in electricity rates this month, primarily due to higher pass-through charges and a weakened local currency.

- By GABRIELL CHRISTEL GALANG

According to Meralco, the overall rate for a typical household is now P13.2703 per kilowatt per hour (kWh), a P0.6268 per kWh increase from P12.6435 per kWh the previous month.

Joe R. Zaldarriaga, Meralco vice president and head of corporate communications, said the adjustment is equivalent to an increase of around P125 for residential customers consuming 200 kWh.

Zaldarriaga said the generation charge went up by P0.3749 per kWh, driven mainly by increases in charges from Independent Power Producers. (IPPS) and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).