Vivant Energy Corp.’s retail electricity unit, COREnergy, is poised to expand its customer base and energy solutions for businesses following the recent regulatory adjustment to the retail competition demand threshold.

In a briefing on Thursday, Nov. 6, Jose Marko Anton G. Sarmiento, COREnergy head of sales, said the retail electricity supplier (RES) for the Cebu-based Vivant aims to serve more than 100 end-users by 2026.

“Last year, we ended the year with roughly 30 customers. We intend to close this year at 60, so doubling,” Sarmiento said. “By next year, we should hit 120 to 150.”

The RES firm’s current clientele primarily consists of businesses in the manufacturing, industrial, and commercial sectors, but it is also open to partnering with institutions such as schools, hospitals, and other organizations.

Sarmiento described the reduced demand threshold, approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), as a “major shift” that will significantly open up the retail electricity market to a greater number of potential customers.

Starting June 26, 2026, end-users with a 100-kilowatt-hour (kWh) average monthly peak demand will be allowed to participate in the retail competition and open access (RCOA) program and the retail aggregation program (RAP). These initiatives empower consumers to choose their preferred power supplier at a competitive rate.

Due to this upcoming mandate, COREnergy projects it will achieve between 120 megawatts (MW) and 130 MW of contracted capacity before the end of 2026.

Francis Del Val, COREnergy president, estimated that thousands of new businesses will be able to tap more power suppliers once the new threshold takes effect.

"The estimates of the ERC alone is that by dropping the contestable threshold to 100 kW they will be adding 12,100 plus additional organizations into being contestable,” he said.

The company currently holds approximately 1.3% of the market share, placing it within the top 10 players in the electricity service market. It anticipates raising its share to 5% by 2030.

Through its recently completed company rebrand, COREnergy estimates its customized services have helped existing clients save approximately ₱300 million.

“We've conducted a lot of benchmarking studies. We've taken a look at the various prices in the market, and of course with every region in the country, the pricing is very different, particularly against every DU [distribution utility],” Del Val added.

COREnergy executives also noted that the rebrand aims to help clients simplify their energy transition and allow them to track regular energy consumption. Clients will be provided with a dedicated account manager and access to consumer data via the MyPower Platform.