Meralco raises electricity rate by P1 per KWH

Customers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will see their monthly bill rise for the first time in three months this month after the company’s announcement of a P1.08-per-kilowatt-hour increase due to higher generation charges.

Meralco, however, said the increase in its overall rate would not be implemented in one go, “in the interest of consumer welfare.”

If implemented fully, the increase would mean that a typical household that uses 200 kwh a month would see an additional P216 on the bill.

“[We] advise the public to wait for [an] announcement on the final rate adjustment for February, and how the remainder of the increase will be implemented,” Meralco said.

The company explained that the increase was mainly due to the 85-centavo-per-kwh rise in the pass-through generation charge.

“Meralco’s distribution, supply, and metering charges, meanwhile, have remained unchanged for 31 months,” it added.—RONNEL W. DOMINGO