What is that Universal Charge in your electric bill?

Look at the back of your MERALCO billing statement. You will see a breakdown of
charges composing your power bill. That Universal Charges are actually comprised of
the following:

1. Missionary Charge. This is an amount collected from all electricity end

consumers to subsidize the missionary electrification program of the government.
Thus you have a fair share in the effort of providing electricity to far flung islands
and remotest areas in the country where the cost of producing power is more
expensive than in the main grid. As can be gleaned from the scanned power bill,
the UCME amounting to 0.1163 centavos per kWh accounts for less than 1% of
the total amount due from the consumer.
2. Environmental Fund. This is of a centavo per kilowatt-hour (P0.0025) which
are accrued to be used solely for watershed rehabilitation and management. The
fund is managed by NPC in accordance with EPIRA.
3. NPC Stranded Contract Costs. This is an amount which covers for the payment
of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) Contracts entered into by the national
government during the 1990s to avert the power crisis then. This does not go to
NPC.