Ready Your Budgets, Meralco to Hike Power Rates in January
Here's how to manage your electricity consumption.
(SPOT.ph) Meralco customers are advised to better manage their electricity consumption as the distributor said it would increase its rates for January due to the higher cost of generating power.
A P0.6232 increase per kilowatt-hour will be implemented for this month, Meralco said today, January 10, which means that a typical household consuming 200 kWh could see an increase of around P125 in their total electricity bill.
The rate increase brings the overall rate of a typical household to P10.9001 per kWh in January from the previous month's P10.2769 per kWh, it added.
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Higher generation charge and the completion of distribution-related refund contributed to the increase in power rates for January, with generation charge going up by P0.3316 to P7.1291 from P6.7975 per kWh the previous month, Meralco said.
Aside from the generation charge, the completion of a distribution-related refund amounting to P0.2716 per kWh also resulted in a higher power rate this month.
Two ongoing distribution-related refunds totaling to P1.08 per kWh for residential customers are now being implemented by Meralco, with target completion by January and May this year. The impact of these refunds will be felt in the February and June 2023 billing periods, the power distributor said.
Tips to conserve energy from Meralco
To help consumers manage their electricity consumption this month and avoid high fees, Meralco shared the following tips:
- Unplug appliances when not in use
- Refrain from overfilling refrigerators
- Regularly clean air conditioner filters
- Use LED bulbs for cost-saving lighting
Meralco also advised its customers to use the Meralco Mobile App Appliance Calculator to help them monitor their energy consumption.