Consumers get four more months of relief as ERC extends GEA-All charge suspension

Consumers will get four more months of relief from electricity costs after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) extended the suspension of the ₱0.0371-per-kilowatt-hour Green Energy Auction Allowance (GEA-All) charge through December 2026.

In an advisory, the ERC said the GEA-All, set at ₱0.0371 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), will remain suspended for the September to December 2026 billing months.

The suspension was earlier extended for two months, covering the July and August 2026 billing months.

The first suspension covered the May and June 2026 billing periods.

The GEA-All is a uniform charge collected from consumers to fund payments to renewable energy (RE) developers participating in the government's Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP), which aims to promote the transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources.

“The commission's evaluation of the GEA-All Fund as of August 5, 2026, reveals a healthy fund balance of ₱556,913,662.99," the ERC said.

"This balance is determined to be sufficient to cover the estimated monthly payment requirements for eligible RE developers for the period covering the suspension, even with the projected entry of three additional plants into the program by August 2026,” it added.

The agency said the move is intended to provide relief to Filipino households facing higher inflation and living costs amid external global pressures.

The latest GEA-All suspension advisory applies to “all collection agents (CAs), i.e., distribution utilities (DUs), retail electricity suppliers (RES), and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).”

“All collection agents are hereby directed to submit formal compliance reports, which shall include a transmittal letter and sample bills for each customer class, clearly demonstrating the suspension of the GEA-All line item,” the ERC said.

Collection agents are required to submit proof of compliance within 15 days after the close of the December billing month, the power industry regulator said.

“Failure to comply with this directive, or to submit the required reports, shall subject the collection agent to the issuance of a show cause order and may result in the imposition of penalties and sanctions pursuant to the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, and other applicable rules and regulations issued by the commission,” the ERC said.

The Philippines, a net importer of fuel, has been under a state of national energy emergency since March amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. — MCG, GMA News