Primelectric rolls out lower power rates in Visayas

Razon-led Primelectric rolled out lower power rates in the provinces of Bohol, Iloilo, and Negros, making electricity rates competitive despite global fuel price uncertainty.

In a news release issued Wednesday, Primelectric said that all three of its distribution utilities in the three provinces rolled out lower power rates, making them the lowest in the entire region.

Primelectric president and CEO Roel Castro said these cuts were part of the measures to help alleviate pressure on its customers especially amid rising costs of living.

“While global energy markets remain unpredictable, our priority has always been to deliver stable and more affordable electricity to the communities we serve,” Castro said. “These rate reductions reflect our efforts to cushion households from volatility in fuel and commodity markets.”

“We are committed to ensuring that our customers feel the benefits of efficient procurement and prudent contracting,” he added.

The Bohol Light Company Inc. announced a P2.0068/kWh rate cut after the average residential power rates have gone down to P10.5081/kWh, while the average rate for commercial buildings also decreased to P9.9291/kWh.

The slash in May’s rates was attributed to lower generation and transmission charges – which usually accounts for more than half of power bills – as well as reduced line rental costs, and the suspension of the GEA-ALL charge for the May and June 2026 billing periods as directed by the Energy Regulatory Commission.

On the other hand, MORE Power in Iloilo also lowered its residential rate to P11.8710 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from P12.14 in April, due to a P0.26 per kWh drop in transmission charges and a slight decrease in system loss charges.

MORE Power attributed the rate reduction to cheaper bilateral contracts to reduce final consumer bills, offsetting a P0.05 per kWh increase in generation charges due to higher coal prices, import freight costs, inflation and foreign exchange fluctuations.

For its part, the Negros Power posted a residential rate of P11.38 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which is considered as the lowest among major power distributors in Negros Island.

This rate was also lower by P0.8655/kWh from April’s P12.2463/kWh.

Negros Power saw lower rates due to “efficient procurement” of electricity supply from generation companies, as well as active participation in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), where electricity is traded in real time. —VAL, GMA News