Meralco announces another rate hike

POWER QUEUE Customers line up at the Meralco business center along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City to settle their electricity bills. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said the overall rate for a typical household has gone up by 32 centavos to P9.46 per kilowatt hour, after last month’s maintenance shutdown in the Malampaya facility resulted in a lesser available supply in the market.

Meralco said in a statement on Friday that the increase was due to a higher generation charge, which pushed the rate up. It said this was equivalent to an increase of around P65 in the total bill of a residential customer consuming 200 kWh.

“The November generation charge went up by [29 centavos] per kWh to P5.33 per kWh from P5.04 per kWh the previous month as a result of the Malampaya natural gas facility shutdown,” it said.

“The shutdown resulted in higher costs of power from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market and Independent Power Producers (IPPs),” it added, referring to the shutdown from Oct. 2 to Oct. 25.

Charges from IPPs also increased by 82 centavos per kWh. To ensure continuous power supply and to avoid rotating power interruptions, Meralco said the First Gas-Santa Rita and San Lorenzo plants shifted to more expensive alternative fuel during the 24-day Malampaya shutdown.