Filipinos will see a decrease in electricity rates for two straight months as the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) announced that overall electricity rates have once again decreased to P 9.9766 per kWh, compared to September’s P 10.0732 per kWh.
A downward adjustment of approximately P 19 in the total bill will reflect on a typical household consuming 200 kWh.
Electric rates logged a total net decrease of P 57 centavos per kWh since April 2018.
“We are pleased to announce that despite prices of other basic goods and commodities generally going up, Meralco customers can find some relief in the decrease of power rates these past two months, as this goes against the current trend that we see with other products,” said Meralco Spokesperson and Head of Public Information Office Joe Zaldarriaga.
Generation charge this October decrease to P 5.1908 per kWh from P 5.2719 per kWh last month, which is a total decrease of P 0.0811 per kWh.
The decrease is primarily due to the P 0.2790 per kWh cutback charges of Power Supply Agreements (PSAs).
The reason for the decrease in PSAs was due to higher dispatch of Masinloc and Ilijan plants.
Meanwhile, price of power from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) slightly increased by P 0.2981 per kWh due to lower availability of power plants in the Luzon grid.
In addition, transmission charges of residential customers increased by P 0.0111 per kWh because of the increase in the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’s (NGCP) ancillary service charges.
However, taxes and other charges have decreased by P 0.0266 per kWh.