HOW DOES one keep customers satisfied—particularly in the case of power distribution utilities, which have traditionally been magnets for complaints and dissatisfaction?
High, almost exorbitant, electricity rates and poor to non-existent customer service remain the biggest points of contention among disgruntled consumers.
With that in mind, let us look at I Am Iloilo City’s sole power distributor, MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), and how it manages to keep its customers satisfied.
In my previous column, I discussed how MORE Power has become synonymous with corporate social responsibility—arguably serving as the epitome of how CSR should be practiced, not only among power utilities but across the corporate world.
This time, we focus on another achievement: how MORE Power has provided Iloilo City residents with the lowest electricity rates in the country and continues to maintain affordable rates despite global geopolitical upheavals that have driven up energy costs.
To begin, MORE Power was recently recognized for offering the most affordable electricity rates not only in the province but also in the entire Western Visayas.
According to MORE Power president and CEO Roel Castro, “By actively participating in market opportunities and negotiating long-term power supply agreements at competitive rates, we’re able to keep costs down for our consumers without compromising service reliability.”
Generation charges—the cost of purchasing power from energy suppliers—make up the bulk of a consumer’s electricity bill.
This is why it is crucial for power utilities like MORE Power to procure supply through a competitive selection process and reduce exposure to the volatile prices of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
WESM serves as the central trading floor for electricity, where prices are determined by supply and demand.
At present, long-term contracts cover about 66 percent of MORE Power’s energy requirements.
By securing these long-term agreements, MORE Power has reduced its reliance on the often more expensive spot market.
“This approach helps keep prices stable even when the energy market becomes unpredictable,” explained Niel Parcon, MORE Power vice president for corporate energy sourcing and regulatory affairs.
In a recent Iloilo City power forum, it was revealed that both MORE Power and Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power) charge lower residential rates compared to other utilities.
The Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) attributed this to proactive and strategic contracting of power sources.
“Utilities that manage their supply sourcing well and remain active in monitoring market trends are better positioned to offer consumers lower rates,” said IEMOP president and CEO Atty. Richard Nethercott.
“This is the result of strategic power contracting through a Competitive Selection Process (CSP), coupled with real-time monitoring of price movements in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market,” added Castro, who also serves as president and CEO of Negros Power.
This August—reflected in September’s billing—MORE Power announced an average residential rate of ₱10.88/kWh, a modest increase of only ₱0.27/kWh from the previous month’s ₱10.61/kWh.
The adjustment was mainly driven by higher generation costs, particularly a surge in WESM rates, which climbed to ₱4.28/kWh from ₱3.64/kWh—a sharp increase felt nationwide.
Despite this, consumers can take comfort in the fact that MORE Power limited the overall increase to just ₱0.27/kWh through prudent sourcing and effective cost management.
Transmission charges also decreased due to lower adjustments from previous bills, helping cushion the impact on consumers.
In the end, MORE Power retains bragging rights as the distributor with the most affordable residential electricity rates in Western Visayas—even if overall charges rose slightly because of higher generation and transmission costs.
And true to its commitment, MORE Power continues to work on mitigating market-driven cost fluctuations while striving to provide reliable and affordable electricity for I Am Iloilo City./PN
