Meralco rates up this month

[Terpe]

Customers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will have to shoulder higher electricity rates this month, the power distributor announced yesterday.

Meralco’s generation charge will go up by 33 centavos per kilowatt-hour to P5.66 per kwh for the billing month of April, compared with P5.33 per kwh from the previous month.

“Charges from WESM, which contributed seven percent to Meralco’s power requirements, were higher by P2.46 per kwh compared to the level in the previous month,” the power distributor said.

The output of hydroelectric plants declined last month, prompting the grid to rely on more expensive oil-based power plants to meet power requirements, Meralco said.

Peak demand for the Luzon grid rose by more than 300 megawatts (MW) at the onset of summer, data from Meralco showed.

Meanwhile, the power generation charge of IPPs went up by 24 centavos per kwh after a mechanical trouble limited the utilization of the 460-MW Quezon Power coal plant, Meralco said.

IPPs accounted for 44 percent of Meralco’s power requirements for the supply month of March.

The nine-centavo per kwh decline in the generation charge of National Power Corp., which accounted for 49 percent of the total supply, was not able to offset the price increases.

The generation charge, which is the electricity bill’s biggest component, accounts for 56 percent of the customer’s average monthly power bill. This charge goes directly to Meralco’s power suppliers.

Meralco said the cost of power sold by the generating companies could fluctuate monthly based on several external factors such as the supply-demand situation, fuel prices, and the foreign exchange rate.

Consumers, however, need to be efficient in using energy amid traditionally higher consumption in the summer season.

Power usage typically increases in the dry season as appliances work doubly hard in warm weather conditions and more household members are indoors during the summer break

Source:-
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx...bCategoryId=63

[London_Manila]

Electric prices in Manila are way too high, i use to have a condo in Makati and most months my bill was around 15,000 pesos

[Terpe]

Electric prices in Manila are way too high, i use to have a condo in Makati and most months my bill was around 15,000 pesos

Must be fond of 24/7 aircon
That's higher than most folks earn