How to Apply for Net Metering with Meralco

Meralco serves most of Metro Manila and nearby provinces, and its net metering process follows the national framework closely — but it has its own portal, business center procedure, and document formatting quirks worth knowing before you file. This guide covers the Meralco-specific steps; for the general process and regulatory background, see our general net metering application guide and net metering overview.

Where to submit: online portal or business center

Meralco accepts net metering applications two ways:

• Online, through Meralco’s customer portal, where you upload each required document into its own field and receive a reference number and timestamp on submission.
• In person, at a Meralco business center, where staff check and photocopy your original documents.

Most installers file online since it produces a clean digital record. If you file in person, bring originals of everything — staff will copy them and hand the originals back — and ask for a date-stamped acknowledgment receipt before you leave. Either way, keep the confirmation. It’s your proof of filing date and the start of the 10-working-day clock.

Document checklist

Meralco’s net metering package is the standard national set:

• Completed Meralco net metering application form
• Certificate of Compliance (CoC), signed by a PRC-licensed PEE or RME, confirming your installation meets the Philippine Electrical Code and has working anti-islanding protection
• As-built single-line diagram of the system
• Bill of materials
• LGU electrical permit
• Certificate of Final Electrical Inspection (CFEI)
• Proof of ownership (or the property owner’s authorization if you’re not the titled owner)
• A copy of your latest Meralco bill

Your installer typically assembles and files this whole package, since most of it — the CoC, single-line diagram, bill of materials — comes directly out of the installation work. See our permits and requirements guide for what each document actually covers and who signs it.

One eligibility note: Meralco checks that your account has no unsettled balance or outstanding dispute before processing a net metering application, so clear any open issues on your electric bill first.

Fees

Meralco charges processing and technical inspection fees, plus a charge tied to installing the bi-directional meter itself. These have shifted under recent ERC advisories and vary with system size, so don’t take a number you saw on a forum as current — confirm the exact fee schedule with Meralco or your installer before signing a contract. Whatever the total, it sits on top of your installed system cost; see our cost calculator for what a system of your size typically runs.

2026 timeline

The 10-working-day review clock only starts once your application is complete — a missing signature or an illegible single-line diagram resets it, since Meralco can ask for corrections rather than reject outright. If Meralco misses its 10-day window on a complete application, it’s deemed approved under the April 2026 DOE circular; for the full regulatory basis, see our DOE 2026 net metering rules guide.

After approval

Once approved, Meralco schedules the swap to a bi-directional meter and you sign the net metering agreement, which can now be signed electronically. From there, your solar exports start showing up as credits on your monthly bill at Meralco’s blended generation rate — below retail, but real savings against what you’d otherwise draw from the grid.