ILOILO City – Electricity consumers in this city and Central Negros will see higher bills this September as distribution utilities MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) and Negros Power announced rate adjustments driven by tight supply conditions and rising generation costs in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
MORE Power said its residential rate climbed to P12.44 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) this month. Commercial customers will now be charged P11.76/kWh.
The utility noted that its generation charge rose sharply to P6.1437/kWh from P4.9128/kWh, mainly due to higher spot market prices following yellow alert warnings from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
In Bacolod City, Negros Power announced that the average residential rate increased to P12.2775/kWh. Commercial users will be charged P12.38/kWh.
The utility explained that price spikes in the spot market, triggered by thinning reserves in the Visayas grid last month, drove the adjustment.
It also cited higher delivery and ancillary service costs, though its Distribution, Supply, and Metering (DSM) charge remains steady at P0.89/kWh.
Both utilities stressed that the rate hikes stem from factors beyond their control, pointing to the yellow alerts that signaled supply margins falling below secure levels. These conditions, they said, pushed up generation, transmission, and reserve market charges, all of which are passed on to consumers.
“We continue to work hard to deliver reliable, safe, and affordable electric service,” MORE Power said in a statement.
Negros Power, meanwhile, assured its customers of transparency and empathy, vowing to “do its best to cushion the impact” of market-driven costs while seeking more stable supply arrangements.
With electricity expenses rising, many households and small businesses across Iloilo City and Central Negros are expected to feel the strain. Industry observers warn that other utilities in the Visayas could implement similar adjustments, as the region grapples with the broader challenges of securing affordable and stable power.
Other power utilities in the Visayas are expected to increase rates for the same reasons./PN
