ERC OKs lower Meralco distribution rate

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has approved a distribution rate of ₱1.48 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for Manila Electric Company (Meralco), significantly lower than the utility’s proposed ₱2.34 per kWh.

The decision followed the ERC’s review of Meralco’s application for a rate reset covering its distribution operations.

Consumer advocate and lawyer Lester Nazarene Ople welcomed the ruling, saying it reflected the importance of consumer participation in the regulatory process.

In a social media post, Ople said he was proud to have assisted and represented former ERC Commissioner Alfredo Non in intervening in the case.

Ople was among the intervenors in the proceedings, alongside Non and Pete Ilagan of the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms, Inc. (NASECORE).

Consumers also welcomed the ERC’s decision, particularly its action on long-pending regulatory matters and its emphasis on consumer representation and welfare.

ERC Chairman Francis Saturnino Juan was likewise credited by consumer advocates for the outcome.

The approved rate represents a reduction of ₱0.86 per kWh, or about 37%, from Meralco’s proposed distribution rate.