Electricity rates in areas served by Meralco may increase in July, potentially raising monthly bills for households and businesses. Meralco vice president Joe Zaldarriaga said Tuesday that higher generation and transmission charges—mainly due to a weaker peso and elevated reserve market prices—could push rates higher this month.
“Indications point to a possibility of an increase in the generation charge this month,” Zaldarriaga said, citing foreign exchange pressures on dollar-denominated power supply costs. He also flagged a potential uptick in transmission charges due to rising reserve market prices in June.
Although final supplier billings remain pending, Meralco expects to announce the official July rate adjustment within the week. If rates rise, it would reverse last month’s P0.1076 per kilowatt hour (kWh) reduction which trimmed around P22 off the monthly bill of a typical residential user consuming 200 kWh.
This develops despite recent data from the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) showing a 3.9 percent drop in average WESM prices in June, driven by lower demand and supply.
Meralco supplies power to Metro Manila and parts of nearby provinces including Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna.
