Meralco power sales ease in early 2026

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April 10, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Power giant Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) saw electricity sales soften from January to March as lower temperatures led consumers to use fewer cooling appliances.

Meralco head of customer relations and services Charina Padua  said total power sales dropped by 1.8 percent to 12,273 gigawatt-hours in the first quarter from 12,493 GWh a year earlier.

“Lower temperatures reduced organic demand, partially offsetting the contribution of new connections,” Padua told reporters in a Viber message.

All customer segments were said to have contributed to the overall decline.

Electricity demand from residential and commercial customers contracted as cooler weather limited household consumption and reduced the use of ventilation and air conditioning, Padua noted.

“Industrial (segment) also slipped as operational constraints and macro headwinds weighed on steel and plastics and limited output from embedded generators,” she added.

Meralco, the country’s largest private distribution utility (DU), currently provides electric service to more than eight million customers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

A company official earlier projected that power sales would recover this year after flat results in 2025, expecting a gradual filling of vacancies left by Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

“The spaces left by POGOs in real estate are gradually being filled, although it is still somewhat slow,” said Ferdinand Geluz, Meralco head of DU subsidiaries and strategic partnerships.

He said the POGO exodus dealt a significant blow to the real estate market, including residential condominiums.

The passage of Republic Act 12312 institutionalized the ban on POGOs over links to money laundering, human trafficking and other illegal activities.