Electricity prices across the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) rose by 38.5 percent in May, according to data released Wednesday by the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP).
The average rate reached ₱7.79 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) as of May 25, up from ₱5.63 per kWh in April. The increase was driven by stronger power demand, along with supply shifts amid recent grid alerts.
Nationwide, average demand climbed 9.4 percent to 15,755 megawatts (MW), while available supply grew 2.7 percent to 21,374 MW. Regional figures varied widely:
• Luzon: Up 24.8 percent to ₱7.02/kWh; demand +10.7 percent, supply +4.9 percent
• Visayas: Surged 81.4 percent to ₱10.20/kWh; demand +9.1 percent supply -5.1 percent
• Mindanao: Rose 64.8 percent to ₱9.28/kWh; demand +3.1 percent supply -1.1 percent
WESM billing periods end on the 25th of each month, not the full calendar month. These rates directly impact the final power bills of consumers served by utilities that source electricity from the spot market.
IEMOP vice president Isidro Cacho Jr. cited two key reasons: a low base from market intervention in April, plus frequent unplanned power plant outages that triggered grid alerts.
Looking ahead, while demand usually drops during the rainy season, prices could remain elevated if outages persist—though new capacity and returning plants may help stabilize supply.
