Meralco to raise rates in December

Customers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will end the year with a higher electricity bill, as the utility company on Monday announced a rate hike for the month of December.

In an emailed statement, Meralco said it will adjust rates higher by P0.0902 per kiloWatt-hour, equivalent to an increase of around P18 in the total bill of a typical household consuming 200-kilowatt hours.

"The increase is mainly the result of P0.5167 and P0.1783 per kWh increases in the cost of power from Power Supply Agreements (PSAs) and Independent Power Producers (IPPs), respectively," the statement read.

With this, the company advised customers to practice energy efficiency initiatives such as unplug unused devices, and keep appliances well maintained to ensure optimal performance. — RSJ, GMA News