Electricity rates up this month

The eight million customers of power distributor Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) should brace for higher rates this month as generation costs rose due to increased demand and peso depreciation.

- BRIX LELIS

At a press conference yesterday, Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga announced an upward adjustment of P0.4274 per kilowatt-hour in November, bringing the overall rate to P11.8569 per kWh from last month's P11.4295 per kWh.

This translates to an increase of around P85 in the electricity bills of typical households consuming 200 kWh a month.

The generation charge, which increased by about P0.29 per kWh this month, covers the cost of power purchased from independent power producers (IPPS), the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) and power supply agreements (PSAs).