Senate Probe Sought into Philippines' Soaring Electricity Bills

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Erwin Tulfo, chair of the Senate energy committee, has filed Resolution No. 535 seeking an inquiry into the increase in electricity prices to come up with a law to protect consumers and ensure that power rates remain reasonable. "While electric distribution utilities and generation companies are entitled to recover prudent and legitimate costs necessary to maintain reliable electric service and undertake essential capital investments, consumers likewise have the right to fair, transparent, accurate, and reasonable electricity charges and access to timely and effective complaint resolution mechanisms," Tulfo said in a statement. The senator also questioned the government’s capability to help consumers affected by the bill shocks. "Is the government really powerless here? For instance, if an electric cooperative’s service is awful and the people are fed up with it, are we helpless?" he asked. "We cannot let our countrymen just accept this, especially with wage rates remaining stagnant," Tulfo added. The senator said he wants to find a way to temper rising power costs and make electricity more affordable for Filipinos. "In this day and age, access to power is a right and not a mere luxury. Every Filipino deserves fair electricity rates," Tulfo said. The Department of Energy recently reported that the country had the highest electricity costs in Southeast Asia as of last month, with average rates pegged at P12.43 per kilowatt hour, higher by P0.093 per kWh compared with Singapore. This was attributed to market reliance on more expensive power generation plants to address the tight electricity supply in the Visayas region—a situation further aggravated by higher demand due to the summer heat. Among the major grids, the Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative in the Visayas recorded the highest on-grid residential rate at P16.57 per kWh, an increase of 32 percent from P12.53 per kWh in May. On the other hand, Manila Electric Co., the country’s biggest power distributor that serves Metro Manila and nearby provinces, was also among the top distribution utilities with high rates. In June, its residential rate reached P14.48 per kWh. —WITH A REPORT FROM LISBET K. ESMAEL