Article by:
Joann Villanueva
MANILA – The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) increased its power rate by PHP0.6427 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for the March 2026 billing due to higher transmission and generation charges, the utility firm announced Tuesday.
This brought the overall rate to PHP13.8161/kWh during the month, which increases by around PHP129 the bill of a household consuming 200 kWh per month.
In a briefing, Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga attributed the higher transmission charge to the 70-percent hike in ancillary service charge by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) from the capacity it tapped from the Reserve Market.
Generation charge, in turn, rose by PHP0.2209/kWh to PHP7.8607/kWh.
With the higher charges, which are also expected to rise further due to impact of oil supply concerns amid the conflict in the Middle East, Zaldarriaga called on the power consumers to help in electricity conservation to better manage utilization and save on costs.
He said power consumption normally increases by around 20 percent to 33 percent during the summer months due to longer usage of air conditioning units and fans.
Among the measures aimed to lessen electricity utilization is turning off appliances and unplugging them from sockets when not in use and use of natural light when possible.
Zaldarriaga said the mandate for government agencies for a four-day workweek will lessen power consumption in the offices but increases household consumption thus, advised people to be mindful on their electricity use.
“It is imperative for us to use electricity wisely,” he said. “As long as you’re able to utilize energy efficiently, that’s a big help.” (PNA)
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