Meralco to charge higher for electricity this Feb.

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s largest power distributor, will charge its customers P0.1184 more per kilowatt hour (kWh) this February, because the cost of electricity it buys from independent power producers is higher. The generation charge will go up to P4.8623 per kWh this month from P4.7439 in January, after going down by a total of P0.55 per kWh in the last two months, the power utility said in a statement Monday. This means customers with a monthly average consumption of 100 kWh will pay P11.84 more for their consumption. The company cited the lower power dispatch of its independent suppliers as demand dropped in January because of cooler temperatures — a situation that brings about higher charges from the producers. Lower temperatures brought Meralco’s peak demand by more than 200 megawatts (MW) to 4,657MW, the company said. Meralco's independent power suppliers are First Gas Power Corp. and Quezon Power Philippines Ltd. It also buys power from National Power Corp. and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market. Investments for 2012-2015 In another statement, Meralco said it is committed to invest P45 billion from 2012 to 2015 to bring its service on a par “with international performance standards." Investors are now voicing their concerns with the adequacy and quality of electric service, Meralco chief operating officer Oscar Reyes said. "Meralco wants to send the signal to investors that the company is committed to supporting them, lining up P45 billion in investments in its network and customer service infrastructure from 2012 to 2015," Reyes said. "Meralco’s franchise is considered the prime area for attracting and retaining investments. Our customers, particularly those in manufacturing and service industries, operate in a regional or global stage and, therefore, expect the company to provide service that would allow them to compete in the world arena," according to the COO. Companies and semiconductor manufacturers located in various Information Technology parks and economic zones expect a higher level of service from Meralco, he said, citing Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, J.P. Morgan & Co., Deutsche Bank, Shell, IBM, and Chevron. From its household customers, Reyes said expectations of better power quality and enhanced customer service are increasingly becoming more evident. 　 "Our residential customers are demanding minimized power outages or brownouts, increased capacity to meet their load requirements, faster energization, and a more efficient customer service response," he said. Electricity sales grew 10 percent in 2010, Meralco’s highest growth rate in 13 years and compares with 2.2 percent a year over the past five years. — VS, GMA News