An increase in electricity rates is set to hit consumers in central and southern Negros Occidental this September.
Negros Electric and Power Corp., on Thursday, Sept. 18, said its average residential rate has increased to ₱12.2775 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) this month, a ₱0.7715/kWh increase from August’s ₱11.5060/kWh.
The company attributed the increase to external market factors and rising supply costs.
Commercial consumers will be charged ₱12.38/kWh, Negros Power said.
The Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (NOCECO) in southern Negros also earlier said its electricity rate for residential consumers for September 2025 is ₱12.3378/kWh, an increase of ₱0.6850/kWh compared to ₱11.6528/kWh in August.
Negros Power said its rate hike was primarily driven by the higher cost of power supply following tight supply conditions in the Visayas grid last month.
A series of Yellow Alerts, triggered by thinning reserves, pushed up prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), where distributors source part of their supply, it said.
In addition to generation charges, power delivery costs and ancillary service fees — expenses tied to ensuring the grid’s stability and reliability — also went up, Negros Power said.
Negros Power’s Distribution, Supply, and Metering (DSM) charge remains steady at ₱0.89/kWh, it said, underscoring that the increase stems from factors beyond its direct control.
Negros Power said it continues to push for a more stable and affordable energy supply for the region, noting efforts to optimize internal operations and engage with suppliers and regulators to
help temper future fluctuations.
Rates of other electric distribution utilities in the Visayas are also expected to increase for the same reasons, Negros Power said.
NOCECO said its rate increase for September was driven by generation and transmission costs beyond its control.
Its generation charge rose by ₱0.3844/kWh, mainly due to higher rates from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), which increased by ₱2.0573/kWh.
The transmission charge increased by ₱0.1775/kWh, NOCECO also said.*