MANILA, Philippines — The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is increasing its rates by about P0.72 per kilowatt-hour in April, bringing the overall rate to P13.01 per kWh from last month's P12.29 per kWh. The adjustment, which was tempered by Meralco's refund, translates to an increase of around P145 in the electricity bills of typical households consuming 200 kWh a month. At a press conference yesterday, Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said the rate hike was mainly due to higher generation charges, especially in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market. In WESM, power rates went up by P3.42 per kWh due to tighter supply conditions in Luzon following increased demand and the shutdown of several power plants. Charges from power supply agreements (PSAs) climbed by P0.28 per kWh, while the peso appreciation pushed down costs from independent power producers (IPPs) by P0.47 per kWh.