A typical household using 200 kWh will pay about 62 pesos more in October as generation charges rise, prompting a nationwide revival of the ancient art of switching things off
The Bill Arrives
MANILA. Electricity rates for Meralco customers rose in October by 31.91 centavos per kilowatt-hour, bringing the typical household rate to 15.0615 pesos per kWh from 14.7424 pesos in September, according to GMA News’s report on Meralco rates going up in October. A customer using 200 kWh will pay about 62 pesos more. The main driver was a rise of 49.73 centavos per kWh in generation charges, with First Gas charges up due to higher fuel costs and spot market charges up because of bill adjustments and tighter supply on the Luzon grid.
Across Metro Manila, families greeted the news in the traditional way: by gathering around the electricity bill at the dining table, staring at it in silence and then turning to look at whichever family member leaves the lights on.
The Usual Suspects
In every Filipino household, there is someone blamed for high electricity bills. Usually it is a teenager who charges three devices at once, sleeps with the air conditioning on and has never, in recorded history, switched off a light when leaving a room. Sometimes it is a father who leaves the television on while sleeping. Occasionally it is a grandmother who insists the rice cooker must be kept on warm all day in case someone gets hungry.
A mother of four in Caloocan said she had identified the culprit. It is my husband, she said. He says it is the children. The children say it is the refrigerator. The refrigerator says nothing. It just hums. I have decided to blame everyone equally. It is more efficient.
The Fan Economy
In a tropical country where air conditioning is a luxury for many families, the electric fan is the hero of the household. Filipinos have a sophisticated relationship with their fans, rotating them between rooms, positioning them with precision and debating the correct speed setting with the intensity of engineers. With rates rising, many households report a return to strict fan discipline, including the rule that nobody may switch to the highest setting without permission from the head of the household.
A retired government employee in Quezon City said his family now treats the fan with great respect. It is twenty years old, he said. It has survived typhoons, brownouts and three grandchildren. It makes a noise like a helicopter. But it works. When I die, it goes to my eldest son. It is in the will.
The Air Conditioning Diplomacy
For families who do have air conditioning, rising rates have triggered delicate negotiations. Some households have introduced schedules, allowing the air conditioning only during the hottest hours. Others have adopted the communal approach, in which the whole family sleeps in one air-conditioned room to save power. Visitors to Filipino homes during summer may find four generations sleeping peacefully in a single bedroom, a sight that is both heart-warming and a sound energy policy.
Why Rates Rose
The GMA report explains that the increase came mainly from higher generation charges, with fuel costs and conditions in the wholesale electricity spot market pushing prices up, partly offset by lower charges under power supply agreements helped by natural gas from the Malampaya field. Meralco vice president Lawrence Fernandez noted that the company still needs to study the regulator’s actual decisions before gauging the impact, observing that we’re all relying on press releases.
That comment struck a chord with consumers, who also rely on press releases, along with Facebook posts, neighbourhood gossip and their own electric meters, which they watch with the suspicion usually reserved for a tricycle driver quoting a tourist fare.
Small businesses feel the increases sharply. A carinderia owner in Sampaloc, whose small eatery relies on refrigerators, rice cookers and electric fans for customers, said every centavo counts. If my bill goes up, I must raise the price of my adobo, she said. If I raise the price of my adobo, my customers complain. If my customers complain, I give them extra rice. Then I lose money. Electricity is the enemy of adobo.
The Bigger Picture
Electricity prices in the Philippines are among the highest in Southeast Asia, a long-standing concern for households and businesses. High power costs affect everything from family budgets to factory competitiveness and the cost of running a sari-sari store. This year’s broader context, with global fuel price volatility linked to conflict in the Middle East, adds further pressure. For many families already dealing with higher prices for rice, LPG and transport, every extra peso on the electricity bill matters.
Energy Saving Tips, Filipino Edition
Officials routinely advise consumers to unplug appliances, use energy-efficient bulbs, maintain air conditioners and avoid leaving devices on standby. Filipino households have added their own traditional methods. These include opening all windows and doors to let the breeze through, which also lets in mosquitoes and neighbours; ironing all clothes once a week in a single heroic session; and the time-honoured practice of shouting from the next room, sino ang nag-iwan ng ilaw, who left the light on, which experts estimate saves several kilowatt-hours a year.
The Last Word
Back in Caloocan, the mother of four had pinned the October bill to the refrigerator with a magnet, where every family member would see it every time they opened the door. It is a reminder, she said. Every time they open the fridge, they see the bill. Then they close the fridge quickly. It saves electricity. It is the best energy policy in the Philippines, she added, and Meralco did not even think of it.