Filipino households paying some of the steepest residential electricity rates in Southeast Asia are at the center of a new Senate resolution filed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who wants lawmakers to scrutinize whether current regulations shield consumers from unjustified charges.
Through Senate Resolution 511, Lacson called on the relevant Senate committee to open an inquiry aimed at improving transparency, accountability and consumer protection across the power sector. He argued that Congress needs to establish whether existing rules do enough to guard the public against increases he described as “excessive, unreasonable or avoidable,” even as he acknowledged that supply limitations, fuel prices, foreign exchange swings and broader market pressures can push rates upward.
The measure singles out system loss charges for closer examination, particularly non-technical losses tied to electricity pilferage, meter tampering and illegal connections. Consumer advocates have long maintained that such costs should be absorbed elsewhere rather than billed to paying customers.
Lacson also drew attention to what he called substantial and unexplained jumps in Meralco billing over recent months, along with grievances about questionable meter readings. He cited the Energy Regulatory Commission’s decision permitting Meralco and four generation firms to recover P31.34 billion in costs, an approval projected to drive rates higher starting in March. According to the senator, Meralco’s residential charge rose from P13.2730 per kilowatt-hour in January to P14.8261 per kWh by July following successive adjustments.
Separately, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian pressed the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to speed up modernization of the national transmission network, tying grid upgrades directly to affordability and reliability. He said a nimbler, more efficient system would help absorb the growing pipeline of renewable energy projects and support the country’s move toward electric vehicles.
“An efficient and flexible power system is key to ensuring a stable and affordable electricity supply,” Gatchalian said, speaking after Meralco flagged yet another rate hike driven by climbing generation costs linked to fuel prices and taxes.
The financial strain, Lacson stressed, falls hardest on ordinary workers, families and businesses already contending with rates that rank near the top in the region.
