The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Luzon and Visayas grids under red alert on Wednesday, May 13, amid supply deficit that may trigger rotating power interruptions across the country’s most populous regions. The grid operator announced that the Luzon region will...
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is slightly lowering electricity prices this month, using billions of pesos in regulatory refunds and new tax breaks to shield consumers from the typical price spikes caused by the summer heat. The country’s largest power distributor announced on Wednesday, May 12,...
The call to investigate the controversial pass-through charges on electricity bills in gaining traction in the House of Representatives. The latest solon to seek such congressional inquiry is Assistant Minority Leader Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal, who wants to find out...
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) ordered a temporary suspension of the Green Energy Auction Allowance (GEA-All) collection, a move expected to lower electricity bills for consumers through June. The regulator announced on Friday, May 8, that the suspension of the ₱0.0371 per kilowatt-hour...
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has ordered a nationwide temporary suspension of power disconnections to preserve electricity access during a declared State of National Energy Emergency and shielding consumers from immediate service cuts. In a newly issued advisory, the country’s energy...
Are the charges on electricity bills still fair? This was the question left by Murang Kuryente Party-list Rep. Arthur Yap on the minds of people following his privilege speech Wednesday night, May 7 at the House of Representatives. Yap, a member of the so-called power bloc in the 300-plus strong...
Former Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares has amplified the condemnation of the electricity bill shocks that are being experienced by millions of customers in the current summer months. According to the militant leader, it is unacceptable that consumers shoulder the burden every time the...
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is seeking regulatory approval to return approximately ₱9 billion to its customers, adding to an existing multi-billion peso refund program aimed at easing the burden of high electricity costs. In an interview, Ronald Valles, Meralco head of regulatory management,...
Senator Risa Hontiveros has filed a bill that seeks to remove the value-added tax (VAT) on systems loss charges. Hontiveros noted that the VAT on systems loss charges are currently being passed on to electricity consumers’ monthly bills—a “double burden” on top of the “already absurd”...
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon has called out the Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN) over possible fake news and disinformation on the issue of the alleged bloated electricity bills at a time of great economic hardship for many Filipinos. "Rising electricity costs is a real concern which...
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) lifted the suspension of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) across the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids, restoring normal trading operations effective Friday, May 1. In a statement, the ERC explained that this WESM resumption marks a return to...
Malacañang said Congress should revisit the country’s lifeline rate system to ensure a fair and balanced distribution of electricity subsidies, amid growing concerns from consumers over rising power bills. Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said this as Meralco...
