Meralco hikes November rates by 49 cents/kWh

Résumé détaillé

MANILA – A PHP0.49 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) rate hike awaits consumers of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) for the November billing period, driven by hig...

HIGHER RATES. More expensive fuel and a weaker peso drove up the generation charges of the Manila Electric Company, leading to a PHP0.49 per kilowatt-hour power rate increase for the November 2026 billing period. Meralco assured residential consumers that refund orders from the Energy Regulatory Commission remain in place to help cushion the impact of the rate hike. (PNA file photo)

MANILA – A PHP0.49 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) rate hike awaits consumers of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) for the November billing period, driven by higher generation charge.

In an online briefing Friday, Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga said the generation charge rose to PHP0.4344/kWh, the transmission charge from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to PHP0.0080/kWh, the distribution rate to PHP0.0096/kWh, and other charges by PHP0.2108/kWh.

He said the generation charge was affected by the depreciation of the Philippine peso against the United States dollar and the ongoing Middle East crisis. These factors increased fuel prices and the operating costs of the generation companies from which Meralco sources its power.

Taxes also increased, citing the tariff approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for the First Regulatory Period, which raised distribution, supply and metering charges.

Amid the rate uptick, Zaldarriaga assured residential customers that two refunds earlier ordered by the ERC remain in effect, totaling PHP1/kWh.

These include the actual weighted average tariff (AWAT) refund, which covers the lapsed period July 2022 to December 2025.

Zaldarriaga said the company will implement another AWAT refund of PHP0.17/kWh starting this month, which will last for six months.

However, he reminded customers with unpaid bills from May to July to settle their dues this month, while balances from August to October must be paid by December.

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