Meralco rates down by ₱0.2483/kwh in May billing
By Myrna M. Velasco – Updated May 8, 2020, 10:01 PM
from Manila Bulletin
As the coronavirus-linked enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) stretches into its second month, Filipino consumers can expect slight relief on their power bills as the overall rate of Manila Electric Company (Meralco) declined by ₱0.2483 per kilowatt-hour (kwh) on May billing.
(KJ ROSALES / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The utility firm said its pass-on tariff for this billing cycle had been down to ₱8.7468 per kwh versus the April rate of ₱8.9951 per kwh – and that will be equivalent to a total reduction of ₱50 for end-users within the typical 200 kwh consumption base.
That will be an added comfort to consumers when they finally settle their bills post-ECQ, given that government regulators also mandated four-month installment on power bill payments, especially for the marginalized consumers.
Meralco noted the generation charge for this billing month had been lower by ₱0.2537 per kwh at ₱4.3848 per kwh from last month’s ₱4.6385 per kwh.
It explained that because of the very significant reduction in power demand within the utility firm’s service area during the ECQ, Meralco invoked the force majeure provision in its power supply agreements and that had “reduced fixed charges for generation capacity that would have been charged by sup¬pliers.”
For the May billing, Meralco indicated that its force majeure claims amounted to ₱877 million and that translated to a reduction of ₱0.3452 per kwh as passed on to its customers. That is also a heftier amount compared to force majeure claims amounting to ₱129 million in April.
Meralco emphasized that the continuing directive of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on the suspension of collection of feed-in-tariff allowance (FIT-All) charges for renewable energy capacities also helped soften the rates in this billing cycle.
Meralco noted the generation charge for this billing month had been lower by ₱0.2537 per kwh at ₱4.3848 per kwh from last month’s ₱4.6385 per kwh.
It explained that because of the very significant reduction in power demand within the utility firm’s service area during the ECQ, Meralco invoked the force majeure provision in its power supply agreements and that had “reduced fixed charges for generation capacity that would have been charged by sup¬pliers.”
For the May billing, Meralco indicated that its force majeure claims amounted to ₱877 million and that translated to a reduction of ₱0.3452 per kwh as passed on to its customers. That is also a heftier amount compared to force majeure claims amounting to ₱129 million in April.
Meralco emphasized that the continuing directive of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on the suspension of collection of feed-in-tariff allowance (FIT-All) charges for renewable energy capacities also helped soften the rates in this billing cycle.
