Iloilo City, Central Negros electricity rates rise slightly in July 2025

By Francis Allan L. Angelo and Dolly Yasa

Residential power rates in Iloilo City and Central Negros saw modest increases in July 2025, as utilities cited higher grid and market-related charges but also pointed to improvements in system efficiency and energy sourcing.

In Iloilo City, MORE Power announced an average residential electricity rate of ₱10.6149 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) – a ₱0.09 increase from June’s ₱10.5249/kWh.

The increase was mainly attributed to higher transmission charges driven by elevated ancillary service costs from the Reserve Market, a system-wide adjustment affecting all power distributors.

However, the utility reported a drop in generation charges, made possible by its strategic sourcing of energy from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

“At MORE Power, we remain committed to delivering more reliable, stable, and responsive service – ensuring that every peso you spend brings greater value to your home and daily life,” the company said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Negros Power also implemented a rate adjustment for its residential customers, raising the average power rate to ₱11.37/kWh, up from ₱11.14/kWh in June.

The utility explained that the increase was driven by higher generation and transmission costs, but said this was offset by encouraging progress in system efficiency.

Notably, system losses dropped to 7.08% in July, down from 8.03% the previous month, signaling the positive impact of the company’s infrastructure upgrades.

“This is a clear sign that our massive line rehabilitations and network improvements are working,” Negros Power said. “Every percentage drop means less wasted energy and better service reliability for our customers.”

The company reaffirmed its five-year development roadmap, aimed at reducing losses, improving service quality, and delivering affordable electricity to Central Negros households and businesses.

The coverage area of Negros includes the cities of Bacolod, Silay, Talisay, and Bago, as well as the towns of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto, which encompasses a significant portion of central Negros Occidental.