Brace your wallets. MERALCO has raised its November rate by ?0.49/kWh, meaning a household consuming 200 kWh will pay about ?98 more.
For families already stretching their budgets, that is no small amount. With food, fares, and other basics getting pricier, a heavier power bill adds to the strain, and many are asking why it keeps climbing even when they feel they are using the same amount of electricity.
Rationale
MERALCO attributes the increase mainly to higher generation charges, which rose by ?0.4344/kWh.
Two factors are behind this. The peso has weakened, and since fuel is priced in US dollars, generators must spend more pesos for the same supply. Meanwhile, the crisis in the Middle East has also pushed global fuel prices up. First Gas, which runs natural gas-fired plants, and Prime CoreGen were among the generation companies identified as drivers of the higher charges.
The Spot Market Effect
The spot market is also at play here. Charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), where electricity is traded based on supply and demand, rose by ?4.3946/kWh after warmer October temperatures lifted Luzon’s average demand by around 769 MW.
In other worlds, prices climb when supply tightens or the demand jumps.
Using Less to Save More
While we cannot control these external factors, we can control how much electricity we use at home. And this matters beyond this month’s bill. With the Super El Niño, hotter days could mean more hours of fans and air conditioners, so these habits are also early preparations for that.
- Every day: let a fan take over from the air conditioner an hour before the timer would normally switch it off. Unplug appliances you are not using, and iron clothes in one batch.
- Every two weeks: clean AC filters and electric fan blades.
- Set and forget: Adjust the AC to 25? instead of 18? and the fridge to its middle setting.
- Smart loading: Keep the fridge at 67% full and do not overload the washing machine.
Small habits, when practiced daily, add up. And with bills rising and the hottest months up ahead, now is the time to build them.
