MANILA – The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) clarified that all items reflected in customers’ electricity bills have undergone regulatory approval prior to implementation, amid confusion and circulating claims on social media questioning bill components.

Meralco said its billing statements provide a detailed breakdown of charges, allowing consumers to see where their monthly payments are allocated.

“Meralco, just like other electricity distributors across the country, operate under strict regulatory oversight that ensures all charges are lawful, transparent, and properly vetted. Every line item in your electricity bill has been approved before they are reflected and implemented,” Meralco vice president and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga said.

The company explained that some of the charges include public policy items such as the senior citizen subsidy, lifeline rate subsidy, and universal charge, which are intended to fund programs for vulnerable sectors and government initiatives. It also cited the Feed-in Tariff Allowance and Green Energy Auction Allowance, which are collected to support the country’s shift toward renewable energy.

Meralco stressed that these are mandated charges under existing laws and regulations and are remitted to the government through the appropriate agencies.

“These mandated charges are remitted to the government through the relevant agencies. To reiterate, these are not new charges and they are not exclusive to Meralco as these are implemented by all distribution utilities and electric cooperatives in the country,” Zaldarriaga said.

The company also clarified that so-called pass-through charges, including generation and transmission costs and taxes, are not part of its revenue.

“We act solely as collection agents for these costs. These do not form part of our revenues in any way. Again, we are highly regulated, with all charges in electricity bills subject to rigorous review and regulatory clearance prior to implementation,” Zaldarriaga said.

Meralco added that its distribution charge has remained unchanged since its reduction in 2022.

“We will not cease our efforts to empower consumers with the right information. We put prime importance to transparency and accountability and I would like to assure our customers that they can reach out to us any time through our various customer touch points,” Zaldarriaga said. (PNA)