The Philippines registered the highest national average power rate in the ASEAN region for June 2026, reaching P12.43 per kilowatt hour. Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara explained that severe supply shortages, particularly in the Visayas where 21 power plants endured forced outages, forced the region to rely on expensive power imported from Luzon and Mindanao. This spike allowed the Philippines to surpass Singapore, whose average rate for June was lower by nearly ten centavos per kilowatt hour.
Locally, residential electricity rates varied drastically across different cooperatives. The Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative recorded the highest rate in the country at P16.57 per kilowatt hour, marking a 32 percent surge from the previous month. Northern Samar and Kalinga-Apayao followed closely, with Meralco placing fourth at P14.48 per kilowatt hour. Conversely, some areas enjoyed much lower costs, with the Pampanga III Electric Cooperative leading the lowest-rate list at P9.07 per kilowatt hour, which was actually a 10 percent drop from May.
Looking ahead, the Department of Energy warned that further electricity price hikes are possible due to rising global fuel costs. While it remains uncertain if the Philippines will continue to lead the region in high power expenses, the government is urging distribution utilities to prioritize cheaper fuel sources. Officials are also calling on the public to conserve energy to prevent the grid from having to activate the most expensive standby power plants.
