Meralco says July 2023 electricity bills may be lower

Lower generation costs may result in electricity bills for the month of July, said Meralco on Wednesday.

According to a "24 Oras" report by Bernadette Reyes, the cost of generating electricity has been decreasing since the start of the rainy season, with last month’s 41 centavo per kilowatt-hour drop.

“’Yun namang July hanggang Pebrero is what is termed as the rainy season, and then tatawid ‘yan doon sa ‘ber’ months, may spillover doon hanggang February na malamig pa rin 'yung klima. So normally, both in terms of consumption and of rates, it's starting to soften plus yung gamit ng kababayan natin, talagang pababa yan,” Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga said.

Another contributing factor of lower electricity prices is the peso-to-dollar conversion rate.

“Malaking component ng expenses ng generating entities and dollar-denominated both in terms of costing pati sa fuel,” Zaldarriaga added.

Meanwhile, Meralco advised its consumers to manage their appliances wisely, such as maintaining the cleanliness of their cooling appliances, turning off lights and unplugging appliances to lower electricity consumption. — Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/BM, GMA Integrated News