The recent increase in transmission charges by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is mainly due to the recovery of under-recoveries and the increase in maximum allowable revenue (MAR).
ACCESS president Wennie Sancho wrote a letter to Francis Saturnino Juan, chairperson of the ERC, on the concern of ACCESS over the lack of proactive education initiative from NGCP, ERC, and DOE on electricity-related matters. The recent increase in transmission charges highlights the need for transparency and education. Many electricity consumers do not clearly understand the “recovery and under recovery” mechanisms which directly impacts their monthly electricity bills.
ACCESS strongly manifested that this increase in transmission charges rate disproportionately affects the marginal sector who are already reeling from the high cost of living. Sancho avers that in these trying and difficult times, every peso counts. Increase in transmission charges may force households to cut essential expenses or fall into debts.
ACCESS urges ERC, NGCP and DOE to consumer education needs, develop and implement proactive education programs, ensure accessible information on electricity matters, including explanation of recovery and under recovery mechanism and consider the impact on marginalized sectors when evaluating transmission charges.
Despite the critical role of electricity in our lives, many consumers remain unaware of their rights and responsibilities. The recent transmission charges rate increase highlights the need for transparency and education.
It is the responsibility of NGCP, ERC and DOE to proactively reach out to consumers and educate them on the “nitty-gritty” of electricity related matters. It’s concerning that they are not doing enough to assess the need for consumer education. Transparency and awareness are key to ensuring that consumers are protected and informed. Maybe it’s high time for these agencies to reevaluate their approach and prioritize consumer education and outreach programs.
The overall average transmission rate rose by 13.55 percent to P1.5279 per kWh in February 2026. This increase aims to support NGCP’s grid strengthening and reliability projects. The press release claimed that Negros Power has nothing to do with the increase in transmission charges approved by ERC. As a matter of fact, there was a substantial decrease in our distribution charges of Negros Power, it said.*
