Meralco rates down for second straight month in January 2026

Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) on Monday announced a reduction in its electricity rates for January to mark the second straight month of downward adjustments, on the back of lower transmission and generation charges.

In an advisory, Meralco said it will lower electricity rates by 16.37 centavos this month bringing the overall rate for a typical household to P12.9508 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from P13.1145 per kWh in December.

This will translate to a reduction of around P33 in the total electricity bill of residential customers with a typical monthly consumption of 200 kWh.

“While there were upward pressures on certain cost components this January, overall electricity rates declined — for the second straight month. We hope that this development will bring relief to all our customers as we start another year,” Meralco vice president and Corporate Communications head Joe Zaldarriaga said.

The residential transmission rate dropped by P0.10 per kWh to P1.0368 per kWh, due mainly to the lower ancillary service charges incurred by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) from its Ancillary Service Procurement Agreements and the Reserve Market.

Meralco also cited the decline in generation charges by P0.0171 per kWh to P7.7471 per kWh, as charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) fell by P1.1898 per kWh, and charges from power supply agreements (PSAs) decreased by P0.0516 per kWh.

In the same advisory, Meralco warned the public against the dangers from theft of electrical facilities such as cables, after a recent attempt in Quezon City caused the temporary disruption of power to nearly 8,000 customers.

Power service was restored after four hours, and the suspect was reported to be in critical condition after sustaining flashover burns.

“This incident underscores the grave dangers of stealing power cables and electrical facilities. Beyond the inconvenience caused by service interruptions, these acts post life-threatening risks due to the high voltage of Meralco facilities,” Meralco senior vice president and head of networks Froilan Savet said.

“Any contact with energized facilities can lead to electric shock, severe injuries, or even death,” he added.

Meralco constructs, operates, and maintains electric distribution systems in the cities and municipalities of Bulacan, Cavite, Metro Manila, and Rizal, as well as certain areas in the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, Pampanga, and Quezon.—AOL, GMA Integrated News