Lower electricity bills in May as rates fall

Consumers will experience lower electricity bills in May, brought by lower transmission and ancillary service (AS) rates, according to National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

- BY GABRIELL CHRISTEL GALANG

In a briefing on Wednesday, May 14, NGCP's business and regulatory development head Julius Ryan Datingaling explained that overall average transmission rates recorded last April saw a significant decline of 28.45 percent, from P1.524 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to P1.0904/kWh.

NGCP charges transmission wheeling rates, which pay for power delivery services, while AS rates are pass-through costs for power supplied by AS providers to stabilize the grid during power supply-demand imbalances.

In April, NGCP's transmission wheeling rates were down by 16.35 percent to P0.4605/kWh, while average AS charges lowered by 36.07 percent to P0.5175/kWh.

These AS charges are then remitted to generating companies (GenCos) and to Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) for AS sourced from the reserve market.

NGCP also emphasized that it only charges Po.46/kWh for the delivery of its services this month, as reflected in May 2025 electricity bills.

On rate reset