The Manila Electric Co. (MERALCO) has announced a Php 0.1180 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) reduction in its electricity rates for April, bringing the overall rate to Php 11.3168/kWh from the previous month’s Php 11.4348/kWh.
The adjustment is equivalent to a Php 24 decrease for a residential customer consuming 200 kWh.
Generation charges went down to Php 7.3295 per kWh even with the inclusion of the first installment of deferred generation costs of around Php 0.20/kWh.
Charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) also went down by Php 1.0462/kWh due to the improved supply situation in the Luzon Grid.
Power supply agreement (PSA) charges also went down by Php 0.0741/kWh due to higher shares of excess energy deliveries of some PSAs, and higher average plant dispatch, following the normal operations of the First NatGas-San Gabriel plant.
Meanwhile, charges from Independent Power Producers (IPP) went up by Php 0.6710/kWh following the collection of the first installment of the deferred generation costs.
In related developments, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has endorsed the official list of beneficiaries of the lifeline discount in accordance with Republic Act No. 11552 or “An Act Extending and Enhancing the Implementation of the Lifeline Rate.”
Under the law, certain households will be entitled to a lifeline discount should their consumption meet the threshold set by the ERC. In the case of MERALCO, the threshold is at 100 kWh.