Transmission rate up in April 2026 —NGCP

Electricity consumers across the country’s power grids should expect an increase in transmission rate to be reflected in their April 2026 electricity bills, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said Wednesday.

In an advisory, the NGCP said the overall average transmission rate for the March billing period to be billed by distribution utilities and electric cooperatives this April increased by 4.26% to P1.7526 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), up from February’s P1.6810 per kWh.

This as the ancillary service (AS) charge or the pass-through costs for power supplied by power generators who are AS providers during supply-demand imbalance increased to P0.8516 per kWh from P0.8275 per kWh in the prior month.

The grid operator said it does not earn from AS and does not benefit from any change in AS prices, as these are remitted directly to generation companies with bilateral contracts with NGCP, and to the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) for AS sourced from the Reserve Market. 

Meanwhile, the NGCP’s transmission wheeling rate —the fee for delivering power through the transmission grid— increased to P0.7022 per kWh from P0.6677 per kWh in the prior month.

“The increase in effective transmission wheeling rates has no impact on NGCP’s revenue, as the company’s allowable revenue is capped by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC),” the grid operator said.

The NGCP reiterated that the bulk of the overall transmission rate still comprises charges for AS. 

"As the system operator, NGCP’s priority is to ensure the grid remains resilient during supply-demand imbalances. NGCP does not profit from AS charges, as these are remitted directly to the providers who help us maintain the continuous flow of electricity across the country," it said. —AOL, GMA News