Meralco sees 4.5% increase in consolidated energy sales

By Lenie Lectura – March 17, 2025
from Business Mirror

THE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) announced a target of a 4.5-percent increase in consolidated energy sales this year from the 54,325-gigawatt hours (GWh) the company recorded last year.

Energy sales volume that will be attributed to Meralco may reach 56,000 GWh this year while Clark Electric Distribution Corp. may post around 700 GWh.

“Around 4.5 percent. We’re targeting for Meralco alone, 56,000 gigawatt hours and for Clark around 600 to 700 gigawatt hours,” said Meralco Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Ferdinand O. Geluz.

Clark Electric is 65-percent owned by Meralco.

“Last year, our sales reach 54,325GWh so this year probably 2,490GWh will be added,” added Veluz.

For the first quarter this year, energy sales could be “positive but a bit flattish,” Geluz said. Moving on to the next quarter, the Meralco official said the numbers are likely to be on an upward trend due warmer temperatures which will drive a spike in demand.

“The first half is a bit challenging because we grew 9 percent last year because of El Niño, but much of the catch up will probably be in the second half. Maybe first quarter is positive but a bit flattish while second quarter is a bit up,E said the Meralco official.

In 2024, Meralco’s consolidated energy sales volumes recorded a six-percent growth from 51,044 GWh in 2023 to 54,325GWh. Volumes attributed to Meralco and Clark Electric increased by 6 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

Meralco customers stood at 8.04 million last year, up three percent from 7.83 million in 2023. “Normally, we grow around 200,000 new customers every year,” said Geluz.

To better serve and empower its growing number of customers, Meralco has been implementing initiatives to further enhance its physical and digital touchpoints with digital channels servicing more than 60 percent of the total customer transactions.

In support of customer choice programs, Meralco has been strengthening its grid infrastructure and metering capabilities through its “advance metering infrastructure” strategy that aligns with regulatory requirements and integrates smart metering solutions. Investments in back-end architecture further ensured the seamless implementation of retail aggregation program, which marked a significant milestone last month with the switching of the first retail aggregation customer.