Lower generation and transmission costs have brought down the average residential electricity rates in central and southern Negros Occidental in May, power distributors announced on Friday. May 15.
An advisory of the Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power) in Bacolod City said the rate for May is pegged at PHP11.38 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), lower by PHP0.86 from PHP12.24 in April.
“Overall, the decrease in electricity rates for May 2026 is primarily driven by lower generation and transmission charges,” Negros Power president and chief executive officer Roel Castro said in a statement.
"Our goal is always to ensure that power remains as affordable as possible while maintaining the stability and reliability of our services", he said.
Charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) decreased by PHP0.82 per kWh, a development largely influenced by market suspension implemented after the declaration of a state of national energy emergency amid global fuel supply disruptions and rising oil prices, Castro noted.
For residential consumers, generation charges decreased by PHP0.53 per kWh while transmission charges fell by PHP0.15 per kWh.
Negros Power serves consumers in the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Silay, and Talisay, as well as the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto.
Down south, the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco) said its May residential rate declined to PHP11.45 per kWh, decreasing by PHP1.76 from the April rate of PHP13.21 per kWh.
"The reduction is primarily due to lower generation and transmission charges, amounting to PHP1.19 and PHP0.24 per kWh, respectively," it said in an advisory.
The Noceco management attributed the decrease in generation rate to the suspension of WESM operations nationwide, which prevented a projected spike in electricity prices.
It said the Energy Regulatory Commission replaced market-driven prices “with a modified administered price mechanism that protected consumers from higher electricity costs.”
The Noceco management, meanwhile, urged consumers to adopt a "crisis mode" approach to energy conservation to mitigate the impact of a possible increase in power rates next month.*
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