CUSTOMERS of the Manila Electric Company could expect a higher electricity bill this month. 

Meralco announced Friday that it would implement an upward adjustment of P0.3297 per kilowatt hour. This means the overall rate for a typical household would increase to P10.2769 per kWh this December from P9.9472 per kWh the previous month. 

This would be a P66 increase in the total electricity bill of residential customers who consume 200 kWh.

Meralco implemented the rate increase following the completion of the refund ordered by the Energy Regulatory Commission for overcollections of pass-through charges.

“This month’s overall rate increase was mainly due to the completion of a distribution-related refund equivalent to P0.4669 per kWh for residential customers,” it said in a statement.

It also said there are three ongoing refunds that continue to temper customers’ monthly bills, and these are expected to be fully refunded by December 2022, January 2023, and May 2023. 

The power distributor likewise said the generation charge went down by P0.1942 to P6.7975 from P6.9917 per kWh the previous month, which tempered the increase from the rate adjustment. 

It said charges from Power Supply Agreements decreased by P0.2079 per kWh as the First Natgas-San Gabriel plant went back online on October 15 coming from scheduled maintenance outage from October 1 to 14. 

The peso’s appreciation, which affected 38 percent of PSA costs that are dollar-denominated, also contributed to the reduction.

The improved supply situation in the Luzon grid also reduced the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market charges, which brought down the generation charge as well.

On the other hand, the  transmission charge for residential customers increased by P.0753 per kWh due to higher ancillary service charges of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.