THE Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has announced a rate hike of 49 centavos per kilowatt‑hour (kWh) for this month, translating to an estimated ₱98 increase in the monthly bill of households consuming 200 kWh.
The distributor attributed the upward adjustment primarily to rising generation charges, which went up by ₱0.4344 per kWh due to elevated costs from power suppliers — driven in part by peso depreciation and ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Several other factors contributed to the overall increase. Rates from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) surged by ₱4.3946 per kWh as warmer temperatures in October pushed up Luzon’s power demand by roughly 769 megawatts.
Transmission charges also rose by ₱0.1721 per kWh following regulatory approval for the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), while taxes and other pass‑through charges increased by ₱0.2165 per kWh. These were partially tempered by a ₱0.2769 drop in charges from Power Supply Agreements and a ₱0.1641 reduction in ancillary service costs after the suspension of the Reserve Market last October 14.
Meralco clarified that generation, transmission, ancillary, and tax‑related charges are all passed through directly to suppliers, the grid operator, and government agencies — the company does not profit from these adjustments. Customers are advised to anticipate the higher costs in their next billing cycle.
metrosundaily
