Meralco hikes electricity rates by 31 centavos per kwh for August

Customers of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) will see their electricity bills for August increase by 31 centavos per kilowatt hour (kWh).

 

The power utility sourced more power from the spot market and power supply contracts on the back of outages of several plants last month due to Typhoon Glenda.

 

In an e-mailed statement, Meralco said a household consuming 200 kWh a month would see a P62 increase in its electric bill this month.

 

The power utility firm pointed to an increase in generation charge and higher universal charge, lifeline subsidy and taxes for the overall upward adjustment. 

 

Generation charge went up by 23 centavos per kWh to P5.64 per kWh from P5.41 per kWh, due to higher Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) billing adjustments and an increase in the average cost of electricity sourced from Power Supply Agreements (PSAs).

 

"There was a shortfall in power supply due to forced and scheduled outages of various plants, aggravated by the impact of Typhoon ‘Glenda.' The damages caused by the typhoon to some transmission and generating facilities limited the output of a number of power plants located in Southern Luzon," the statement read.

 

Last month, three power plants underwent scheduled outage while 20 power plants were forced to shutdown due to Typhoon Glenda.

 

Apart from higher gen charge, universal charge – or payments used to provide electricity in far-flung areas – increased by four centavos per kWh.Taxes and subsidies went up by two centavos per kWh and three centavos per kWh, respectively.

 

Meralco's distribution charge remained unchanged and the transmission charge declined by one centavo per kWh. —NB, GMA News