Meralco rates go up for second straight month

Metro Manila, Philippines - Customers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) would have to pay more for the second straight month, the power distributor announced on Tuesday, March 11.

In an advisory, Meralco announced it will increase rates by P0.2639 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) this month, bringing the overall rate for a typical household to P12.2901.

The February rate was P12.0262.

This means residential customers consuming around 200 per kWh may expect an additional P53 in their monthly bill.

The power distributor attributed the hike to the conclusion of reset fee adjustment in February, higher transmission charge, and feed-in tariff allowance.

“This month’s transmission charge also includes the second of three installments of February and March 2024 reserve market transactions for Luzon that ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) directed NGCP (National Grid Corporation of the Philippines) to collect,” it said.

Meralco implemented a P0.2834 hike last month.

The power distributor’s franchise area covers parts of Pampanga and Bulacan, Metro Manila, and Calabarzon.