DOE, regulators act to streamline Net Metering process

The Department of Energy (DOE) moved to simplify procedures for the Net Metering Program, working with regulators, utilities, and local governments to remove red tape that has long hindered households from lowering electricity bills and selling excess power to the grid.

At a meeting on August 14, the DOE convened the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the National Electrification Administration (NEA), and Meralco to harmonize requirements and reduce delays.

The move followed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive in his State of the Nation Address to cut bureaucratic bottlenecks in energy services.

Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said the program had been slowed down by excessive paperwork and lengthy approvals that undermined its promise to consumers.

“Every day we delay is another day Filipino consumers lose the chance to reduce their electricity bills and earn from their own clean energy production,” Garin said.

“The President has made it clear: the Net Metering Program must work for the people, not against them,” she added.

The program allows households and businesses to install up to 100 kilowatts of renewable energy capacity, exporting any unused electricity to their distribution utility.

Utilities then issue peso credits for the surplus based on generation costs, enabling consumers to offset monthly bills or recover investments in rooftop solar systems.

As of May 2025, the DOE reported 17,175 enrolled end-users with a combined installed capacity of 157 megawatts peak (MWp).

But in some areas, applicants faced as many as 15 documentary requirements, while energization was delayed by slow processing of Certificates of Final Electrical Inspection and electrical permits at the local level.

While such permits were meant for safety compliance, Garin said they were often tied up with additional and non-essential requirements that discouraged participation.

To resolve these issues, the agencies committed to setting strict timelines for each application stage, standardizing forms, and simplifying paperwork.

Meralco pledged to digitize its application process, accredit solar photovoltaic (PV) installers, and adopt uniform solar equipment standards.

Officials said the reforms are intended to broaden consumer participation, particularly in areas served by electric cooperatives, and empower Filipinos to be both consumers and producers of renewable power.

Energy analysts noted that streamlining Net Metering is crucial for achieving the targets of the Philippine Energy Plan 2023–2050, which envisions tripling renewable energy’s share in the power mix by mid-century.