By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Millions of residential consumers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) are set to receive a ₱0.59-per-kilowatt-hour refund in their August electricity bills, a regulatory-approved adjustment expected to cushion several upward pressures on power costs this month.
Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga said Sunday that the refund will be implemented in accordance with an order approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
The reduction, however, comes as the power distributor faces higher charges from other components of the August bill, including a sharp increase in reserve market prices, a higher Feed-in Tariff Allowance (FIT-All), and the collection of previously unrecovered pass-through costs approved by the ERC.
“We expect that the latest refund will be enough to offset other upward adjustments in the August bills,” Zaldarriaga said.
Among the factors pushing costs higher is the significant increase in reserve market prices that will be charged by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), along with the higher FIT-All levy that will be collected from electricity consumers beginning this month.
Meralco will also collect ERC-approved pass-through under-recoveries, adding further pressure to the final amount customers will see on their August statements.
Despite these increases, Meralco said the refund could provide some relief to consumers, particularly as electricity demand in the Luzon grid has eased.
Zaldarriaga cited data from the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) showing that wholesale electricity prices in the spot market declined in July, partly because cooler weather reduced overall power demand.
“We are hoping that the possible downward adjustment will bring relief to Meralco customers,” he said, noting the lower demand recorded in the Luzon grid.
Meralco is expected to announce its official August electricity rates on Monday, which will determine the overall impact of the refund and the other adjustments on consumers’ monthly bills.
The company meanwhile urged households to continue observing energy-efficiency measures as electricity costs remain vulnerable to movements in the power market.
For consumers already feeling the strain of rising household expenses, the ₱0.59-per-kWh refund offers some breathing room—but the final August bill will depend on how the refund stacks up against the other charges being passed on to electricity users.
ia/xf
