Customers of Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power) will see lower electricity bills this May as the utility announced a reduction in residential power rates driven by lower generation and transmission costs.

In an advisory, Negros Power said the average residential electricity rate for May 2026 dropped to P11.3808 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), lower by P0.8655 per kWh from April’s P12.2463 per kWh.

Roel Castro, Negros Power president and CEO, said the lower rates should help provide relief to consumers amid continuing economic pressures.

“This month’s reduction in electricity rates is welcome news for our consumers, especially at a time when many households are still managing rising costs of living,” Castro said.

“Our goal is always to ensure that power remains as affordable as possible while maintaining the stability and reliability of our services,” he added.

The reduction was primarily due to lower charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), which fell from P5.8677 per kWh to P5.0432 per kWh during the billing period, equivalent to a reduction of P0.8245 per kWh.

Castro said the decline was largely influenced by market suspension implemented under Executive Order No. 110, series of 2026, which declared a state of national energy emergency amid global fuel supply disruptions and rising oil prices.

These developments resulted in an overall decrease of P0.5332 per kWh in generation charges for May, Castro said.

Meanwhile, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) suspended the P0.0371 per kWh Green Energy Auction Allowance (GEA-ALL) charge for the May and June 2026 billing periods, following an advisory issued on May 8.

Transmission charges for residential consumers also went down by P0.1506 per kWh, from P1.3657 per kWh in April to P1.2151 per kWh this month.

“Overall, the decrease in electricity rates for May 2026 is primarily driven by lower generation and transmission charges,” Castro said.