Negros Power cuts May rates on lower generation, transmission charges

BACOLOD CITY – Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power) customers will see lower electricity bills this May after the utility reduced residential rates, citing lower generation and transmission costs.

The average residential rate for May 2026 dropped to PHP 11.3808 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), down by PHP 0.8655/kWh from April’s PHP 12.2463/kWh, the utility said in an advisory.

Roel Castro, Negros Power president and CEO, said the cut should ease pressure on households still grappling with elevated living costs.

“This month’s reduction in electricity rates is welcome news for our consumers, especially at a time when many households are still managing rising costs of living,” Castro said.

“Our goal is always to ensure that power remains as affordable as possible while maintaining the stability and reliability of our services,” he added.

The reduction was primarily driven by lower charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), which fell from PHP 5.8677/kWh to PHP 5.0432/kWh during the billing period — a drop of PHP 0.8245/kWh.

WESM is the trading platform where electricity is bought and sold based on real-time supply and demand, with prices flowing through to distribution utilities and, ultimately, to consumers.

Castro said the WESM decline was largely influenced by market suspension implemented under Executive Order No. 110, Series of 2026, which declared a state of national energy emergency amid global fuel supply disruptions and rising oil prices.

The development resulted in an overall decrease of PHP 0.5332/kWh in generation charges for May, Castro said.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) also suspended the PHP 0.0371/kWh Green Energy Auction (GEA-ALL) charge for the May and June 2026 billing periods, following an advisory issued on May 8.

Transmission charges for residential consumers likewise went down by PHP 0.1506/kWh, from PHP 1.3657/kWh in April to PHP 1.2151/kWh this month.

“Overall, the decrease in electricity rates for May 2026 is primarily driven by lower generation and transmission charges,” Castro said.