Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) reported its consolidated distribution utility (DU) energy sales in the first quarter of the year grew by 1.5% to 12,493 gigawatt-hours (GWh) from 12,307 GWh in 2024, an upward trend it expects to continue until the second half of 2025.
The company attributed the growth to sustained residential demand and the intensifying heat index in its franchise areas.
Residential consumption rose by 3% to 4,257 GWh from 4,144 GWh year-on-year. The increase reflects continued energization efforts and higher cooling demand due to elevated temperatures.
Commercial sales grew 1% to 4,744 GWh from 4,679 GWh, led by strong activity in consumer-facing establishments. The uptick helped offset slower growth in the real estate sector.
Industrial sales remained flat, inching up 0.2% to 3,455 GWh from 3,448 GWh. While demand from non-metallic, semiconductor, and plastics sectors remained steady, it was tempered by declines in food and beverage, and steel.
MERALCO Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Ferdinand Geluz said strong consumer spending ahead of the midterm elections, improving economic indicators, and recovering occupancy rates across commercial developments will continue to drive the company’s electricity sales in the second half of the year, supporting its full-year growth target of 4.5%.
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