Power distributor Manila Electric Co. (MERALCO) has announced a Php 0.3982 per kilowatt-hour (kwh) increase in its electricity bills for the month of June.
This would translate to a Php 80 increase in the total bill for a 200 kwh residential customer.
The increase was mainly driven by the increase in generation charges that went up by Php0.3313 per kwh, from Php6.5590 to Php 6.2277 per kwh. Charges from the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and from MERALCO’s power supply agreements (PSAs) all increased due to higher fuel costs, as power plants used more expensive fuel due to supply restrictions from the Malampaya gas-to-power project.
Coal prices also went up by 23%, which greatly contributed to higher IPP and PSA charges.
MERALCO added that this month’s generation charges include the final tranch of the three installments covering the deferred generation charges in the March bill, and the second of the three installments of the April bill – totaling Php0.20 per kWh of this month’s generation charge.
In other developments, MERALCO has begun constructing a new substation inside an Ayala Land Inc. property in Imus, Cavite.
The 115 kilovolts (kV) – 34.5 kV substation is being built in a 725-hectare mixed-use land inside Vermosa estate – the fourth largest estate of Ayala Land.
The substation will consist of three transformer banks, which are capable of generating 83 megavolts (MVA) of power, totaling a combined capacity of 249 MVA. It will provide enough capacity to accommodate new and additional load applications in the area, which would guarantee a smooth flow of power for the residents and commercial areas of the Vermosa estate.
MERALCO said that the substation would “guarantee operational switching flexibility” during contingencies and improve voltage regulation for the locators and even peripheral developments in Imus.
The new substation is slated for commercial operations by the end of the year.
