Meralco ordered to refund P9.5 billion to over 8 million customers
The Energy Regulatory Commission has ordered utility giant Meralco to refund P9.5 billion to more than 8 million customers.
According to a Philippine STAR report, this refund accounts for overrecoveries equivalent to an average of P0.3448 per kWh across all customer classes from January to December 2025.
Meralco will return the amount over six months or until it has been fully repaid.
Customers in residential areas are expected to receive P0.5861 per kWh, which translates to a P117.22 reduction for a typical household consuming 200 kWh monthly.
"Considering that Meralco collected the overrecovery during the regulatory years covered by the lapsed period, the Commission finds it prudent to include the interest cost in the computation of the total refund of Meralco relative to the instant case," the ERC said in its decision.
During President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address on July 27, he demanded the removal of systems loss charges in electricity bills.
"Panahon na para tanggalin na natin ang systems loss na pinapasa sa consumer," Marcos said. "Pinapasa ito sa consumer at kinakarga sa bill, na pinapatungan pa ng value-added tax. Hindi naman kasalanan ng consumer kung bakit nagkaroon ng systems loss. Kaya hindi naman tama na kailangan sila pa ang pagbabayarin dito," he said.
He also called for the "immediate amendment" of the EPIRA law.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin has said that removing the systems loss charges "will really take time."
Meanwhile, Meralco Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan has raised concerns over the matter, questioning who will absorb the financial burden.