The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on Thursday said electricity prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) could rise by P2 to P4 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) next month, based on simulations by the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP).
ERC chairman Francis Saturnino Juan said the potential increase may affect April electricity bills and is driven by several factors, including the Middle East conflict, power plant outages, and higher electricity demand during the summer season.
However, the impact on consumers will depend on how much electricity distribution utilities buy from the WESM. Utilities with larger exposure to the spot market may see bigger cost increases. Those with long-term power supply agreements (PSAs) may experience more stable generation costs.
IEMOP said its price simulations used global fuel price benchmarks as of March 9, 2026, which show higher prices for coal, natural gas, and oil. These higher fuel costs could prompt power plants to raise their offer prices in the spot market.
Two scenarios were presented:
Around P2/kWh increase under normal conditions
Up to P4/kWh increase if power plant outages occur while demand rises during the hot season
The ERC clarified that the projection only reflects WESM prices and does not include the total generation charge or electricity purchased through long-term contracts.
Earlier data from IEMOP showed that the average WESM price in February slightly fell by 1.8 percent to P3.50/kWh, from P3.56/kWh in January, due to higher available power supply.
During the same period, average electricity demand nationwide increased by 3.1 percent to 12,874 megawatts, while average supply rose by 4.4 percent to 19,992 megawatts.
Businesses and households may still see higher bills in April if utilities rely heavily on spot market purchases, particularly during the summer months when electricity demand typically rises.
