Meralco Rates Up 28 Cents/kWh This Month

Customers of power utility giant Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) can expect an increase of P0.2834 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in their electricity bills this month due to higher generation costs.

- Brix Lelis

This brings Meralco's overall rate to P12.0262 per kWh from the previous month's P11.7428 per kWh, resulting in an upward adjustment of around P57 for typical households consuming 200 kWh.

At a press conference yesterday, Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga attributed the rate hike to a P0.38 per kWh increase in the generation charge, stemming from higher costs from power suppliers.

The generation charge, which accounts for over 50 percent of a typical electricity bill, covers the cost of power purchased by Meralco from independent power producers (IPPs), power supply agreements (PSAs) and the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM).