Senators Push for Probe into Soaring Electricity Bills

MANILA, Philippines — Amidst growing public grievances over soaring electricity bills, several senators have filed resolutions urging the Senate to investigate the energy sector and review policies to strengthen consumer protection. Senators Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros, and Ping Lacson have separately filed resolutions seeking a Senate probe into the rising electricity costs and alleged irregularities in meter readings and the processing of consumer complaints. These resolutions aim to revisit and revise policies governing the energy sector, particularly concerning consumer protection. Aquino highlighted that the Philippines is among the countries in Southeast Asia with the highest electricity costs, underscoring the need for legislative reforms. Data from GlobalPetrolPrices for the first quarter of 2026 indicates that the Philippines ranks second only to Singapore in residential electricity costs in Southeast Asia, with rates around $0.18 to $0.21 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). "It’s time to investigate why the Philippines remains one of the countries with the highest costs of electricity in Southeast Asia and how we can reduce it," Aquino said. Hontiveros proposed amendments to the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers, criticizing what she described as "ironically unfair" consumer protection policies by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). Under the current framework, while consumers have the right to question their bills, they are required to pay the disputed amount first to avoid disconnection. "Why are consumers burdened with the responsibility to correct the wrong collection of payments from us?" Hontiveros asked. Lacson cited complaints from consumers of the country's largest private electric distribution utility, Meralco, regarding "substantial and unexplained increases" in their electricity bills. He noted that Meralco's residential rate increased from P13.2730 per kWh in January to P14.8261 per kWh in July this year. Groups under the Power for People Coalition have also called on the ERC to audit Meralco's billings and impose penalties for alleged anomalies in electricity readings. Aaron Pedrosa, a lawyer and secretary-general of the progressive group Sanlakas, stated, "The ERC was created to protect public interest. Consumers should not be treated as captive sources of revenue whenever fuel prices rise or generation costs increase." The coalition also urged the ERC to extend the no-disconnection policy while investigations are ongoing. The ERC acknowledged anticipating consumer complaints and has been reminding the public to monitor their electricity consumption. ERC Chair Francis Saturnino Juan mentioned in an interview with dzMM on Tuesday, July 14, "For the past several months, we have been reminding the public to monitor their electricity consumption because we have been seeing an upward trend in electricity prices due to rising demand, tighter supply, and other factors." Meralco is set to implement another rate hike this July, an increase of P0.3428 per kWh, which translates to an additional P69 for households consuming 200 kWh.