Negros Power urges energy saving as June electricity rates rise

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power) has encouraged consumers to adopt energy-efficient practices to help manage electricity consumption amid rising power rates across the Visayas due to higher power generation costs.

“We are appealing to our consumers that hopefully we can limit and mitigate impacts to conserve energy by properly using our appliances,” said Engr. Christian John Villena, energy sourcing manager of Negros Power, in a press briefing on Monday.

Villena explained that the increase reflects prevailing market conditions affecting the entire Visayas grid and not just a single distribution utility.

“The increase was due to the insufficient power supply for the entire Visayas island,” he said.

“In the interest of transparency, we want our consumers to understand that this increase is primarily due to higher generation costs resulting from limited power supply and increased fuel prices,” he said.

Villena noted that the significant rise in Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) prices, coupled with higher costs from power suppliers, has affected electricity rates throughout the region.

“This is not a situation unique to Negros Power,” he said, adding that electric distribution utilities across the Visayas are likewise expected to register increases in their electricity rates because these generation costs are driven by conditions affecting the entire grid.

The power firm informed consumers that its electricity rate for June rose to PHP 13.8417 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

This is an increase of PHP 2.4609 per kWh from the previous month’s rate of PHP 11.3808 per kWh.

According to Negros Power, electricity prices in the spot market more than doubled during the month due to limited available power supply.

Several power plants were unavailable while electricity demand remained high, prompting the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to declare yellow and red alerts in both the Luzon and Visayas grids.

In addition, power purchased from the Central Negros Power Reliability Inc. (CENPRI) became more expensive due to rising fuel prices in the global market, further increasing generation charges.

The rate increase comes as the Visayas grid contends with a tight power supply that the NGCP has traced to forced outages at several large coal plants since mid-May 2026.

Roughly 900 megawatts of generating capacity has been unavailable, and grid officials have said the strain could persist until August, when major plants are expected to return online.

The Department of Energy has appealed to consumers to limit power use during peak hours, including unplugging unused appliances and reducing air-conditioner use.

Villena said that generation charges are pass-through costs and do not form part of the distribution utility’s revenues.

While transmission charges posted a slight decrease during the month, the reduction was not enough to offset the increase in generation costs.

The company assured that it continued to pursue the most competitive and reliable power supply sources available, while appealing to consumers to conserve energy.

“You can do basic by turning off the lights, using proper ventilation because it’s already rainy season and temperatures are going down so we can save a lot in our air conditioners,” Villena said.