The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) on Friday, June 9, announced another rate hike for June due to the completion of the Distribution Rate True-Up (DRTU) refund to its customers.
Meralco said there will be an increase of P0.4183 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in its overall rate, which would raise a typical household’s overall electricity rate to P11.9112 per kWh from P11.4929 per kWh in the previous month.
“Itong bahagyang pagtaas na ito, actually na-communicate na po namin sa inyo sa mga nakaraan at I am sure na-anticipate na rin sana sapagkat paulit-ulit na rin pong sinabi na asahan itong epekto ng pagtatapos ng naturang DRTU,” Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga said.
Zaldarriaga explained that the rate hike was however tempered by the decline in generation charge.
“Ibig sabihin, bumaba ‘yung bili namin sa mga generator habang may 4 centavo decrease naman para sa transmission charge. Itong pagbaba ng generation charge ay dahilan ng mas mababang singil mula sa mga power supply agreements ng Meralco at gayundin po sa independent power producers o IPPs,” he noted. CF/with reports from Patrick de Jesus-ag
