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LARGEST
power distributor Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said
Wednesday its energy sales rose in the first quarter of
the year by 3.7 percent to 6,039 GWh (GWh) from 5,824
GWh a year earlier.
Meralco
said the increase in energy sales contributed to the
P532-million net income it posted in the first quarter
of the year.
Meralco
also noted that sales to homes grew in spite of
residential rates due to full removal of the interclass
subsidy in November last year.
Meralco
said the home segment reversed the declines experienced
in the past three consecutive quarters by growing 0.7
percent to 1,949 GWh from 1,935 GWh in the first quarter
of 2006.
Meralco
said commercial and industrial consumption pushed sales
to grow 6.1 percent to 2,294 GWh and 4.1 percent to
1,761 GWh respectively in the first quarter of the year.
Last
year, sales to commercial and industrial customers were
recorded at 2,162 GWh and 1,692 GWh, respectively.
The
power company said commercial, industrial, and household
clients accounted for 38 percent, 29 percent and 32
percent of the total energy sales, respectively.
Additional consumption by the real estate industry was
largely posted by new buildings that were completed in
the last quarter of 2006, said Meralco.
From
January to March this year, 11 new real estate
developments with load consumptions of 500-kilowatts and
above—namely the Cyberzone in Filinvest Corporate City,
Serendra, and the HSBC Center at Bonifacio Global
City—were connected to Meralco, the company said.
Meralco
noted that consumers in the business process outsourcing
(BPO) industry also continued to fuel the expansion in
this area with five new call centers tapping into the
grid last year and contributing 5.1 GWh in energy sales
during the first three months of 2007.
At least
17 new BPO projects are expected to boost energy
consumption that would reflect additional sales of 24.5
megawatts.
In the
private sector, Meralco said consumption growth can
largely be traced to business services and educational
institutions. Sale in these areas rose 12.5 percent and
12.2 percent, respectively. --P.A.Isla |
