Kuryente Bills Going Up! Meralco Slaps P0.64/kWh Hike on Metro Manila Households
Brace yourselves, Metro Manila — your electric bill is about to get heavier this month. Meralco announced on Tuesday that household electricity rates are going up by P0.6427 per kilowatt-hour for March 2026, pushing the overall rate to P13.8161 per kWh from February's P13.1734. For a typical household consuming 200 kWh, that's roughly an extra P129 on your next bill.
The biggest culprit behind the increase? Transmission charges jumped by P0.2880 per kWh for residential customers, driven largely by a massive 70% spike in ancillary service charges from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) through the Reserve Market. These Reserve Market costs now account for almost half of the total transmission charge this billing period — a significant shift that's hitting consumers hard.
Generation charges also climbed by P0.2209 per kWh to P7.8607 per kWh. Meralco pointed to fixed charges from the second extension of the Power Purchase Agreement with First Gas-Sta. Rita, which added about P0.38 per kWh to generation costs. While there was a P1.0952 per kWh reduction from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) as Luzon grid supply conditions improved, the PPA costs more than ate up that savings.
On top of fuel and electricity pressures, Meralco is now urging consumers to practice energy efficiency as the country braces for the dry season — traditionally when demand peaks and supply gets squeezed even further. The power distributor noted that its own distribution charge hasn't moved since a P0.0360 per kWh reduction back in August 2022, but the pass-through costs from power suppliers and grid operators keep piling up.
The timing couldn't be worse — this rate hike lands right alongside double-digit fuel price increases driven by the Middle East conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Filipino households are getting squeezed from all sides, and relief won't come easy. Tighten those budgets, mga kababayan.
Source: GMA News Online
