Meralco hikes electricity rates PHP0.2639/kWh

Manila Electric Company (Meralco) announced a PHP0.2639 per kilowatt-hour increase in this month's billing, bringing the rate from PHP12.0262/kWh to PHP12.2901/kWh.

The price hike is attributed primarily to the end of last month’s one-time downward adjustment and higher transmission charges due to increased ancillary service costs.

Meralco also cited an increase in the feed-in tariff allowance for renewable energy support, which rose by PHP0.0351 per kWh, though generation charges decreased slightly.

Households consuming 200 kWh will see their monthly bill rise from P2,405.24 to P2,458.02, adding about P53; those using 300 kWh, 400 kWh, and 500 kWh will face increases of around P79, P106, and P132 respectively.

The peso's appreciation against the US dollar helped mitigate some costs from independent power producers (IPP) and power supply agreements (PSA), while charges in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) decreased by P0.2247 per kWh due to improved supply conditions.