Metro Manila, Philippines – The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) announced a one-and-a-half-centavo per kilowatt-hour (kWh) decline in electricity rates for May as a result of lower charges in a number of billing items, foremost of which is the transmission cost.
The power distributor announced on Wednesday, May 13, that the ₱0.0151/kWh reduction brought the overall rate for a typical household to ₱14.334/kWh from ₱14.3496/kWh in the April billing statement.
Meralco said the slight reduction was a result of Energy Regulatory Commission-approved measures that offset higher generation charges.
“Despite initial indications of an increase, Meralco power rates this May had a modest reduction,” said Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco vice president and head of corporate communications .
The lower rates were a result of Meralco’s refund for residential customers, lower transmission charges, and reduced taxes and other charges.
The generation charge, which has a 55 percent share in the billing statement, was at ₱8.7942/kWh from ₱8.3864/kWh, driven by higher spot market rates and rising fuel costs.
Meralco said electricity bills may still increase depending on actual household consumption during the summer months, when demand for cooling appliances usually rises.
The power distributor’s franchise area spanning portions of Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Calabarzon accounts for 55 percent of the county’s electricity output.
