MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco) plans to invest up to P4.6 billion in the installation of as many as 420,000 smart meters in 2027 as part of its efforts to modernize its electricity distribution network.
Meralco Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho said the company is targeting 280,000 to 420,000 smart meter installations next year, with an estimated investment of P4 billion to P4.6 billion.
The planned rollout will be aligned with the approved capital expenditure for the company’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) program.
“This includes not only smart meters, but also the communications, systems, and cybersecurity infrastructure needed to support the AMI platform,” Mr. Aperocho told BusinessWorld.
The rollout forms part of Meralco’s investment program for AMI under its first regulatory period, which covers July 2026 to June 2030.
In a decision promulgated on Oct. 26, the Energy Regulatory Commission approved approximately P33.4 billion in investments under the AMI program for the four-year regulatory period.
The amount forms part of the P229.45 billion in total capital expenditures approved by the regulator for the same period to support network reliability improvements and reduce system losses.
AMI integrates smart meters, communications networks, and data management systems to enable two-way communication between electricity distributors and customers.
The technology allows utilities to read electricity consumption remotely, disconnect and reconnect services, and automatically detect outages, potentially improving operational efficiency and response times.
Meralco began exploring advanced metering technologies in 2012, initially focusing on prepaid electricity meters before developing a separate AMI project for postpaid customers.
In February, Meralco signed a two-year supply agreement with Aclara Meters Philippines, Inc., a subsidiary of US-based Hubbell, Inc., for the deployment of more than 72,000 smart meters across its franchise area.
The agreement supports Meralco’s broader AMI program, which aims to install approximately 12 million smart meters over the next decade.
The company currently has about 196,000 smart meters deployed across its franchise area.
Meralco is the country’s largest private electricity distribution utility, serving more than 8.3 million customers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, including Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and parts of Laguna, Batangas, Pampanga, and Quezon.
Meralco’s controlling shareholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc.
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