Consumers in Metro Cebu and nearby areas served by Visayan Electric will see a slight reduction in their electricity rates for September 2026, with the residential rate falling by P0.07 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
The overall rate dropped to P14.89 per kWh from P14.96 per kWh in August. While the reduction is modest, it comes as regulators introduce measures aimed at preventing sharp electricity price increases during periods of tight power supply.
Visayan Electric said the lower rate was made possible in part by the Energy Regulatory Commission’s revised Secondary Price Cap mechanism for the Visayas and Mindanao grids. The utility also negotiated with the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines to defer certain charges.
The regional price safeguard is intended to protect consumers from extreme price movements when electricity supply becomes constrained. The Department of Energy said the revised mechanism was applied beginning with the August 2026 billing period and was designed to address higher wholesale electricity prices experienced in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Without the measures, Visayan Electric said the September residential rate could have climbed as high as P21.24 per kWh amid supply constraints. The interventions therefore prevented a much larger increase from being passed on to consumers.
Visayan Electric President and General Manager Mark Anthony Kindica welcomed the regional safeguards, saying they provide financial relief for households and small businesses while the company continues working with power generators and regulators to manage electricity costs.
The September rate remains significantly higher than levels recorded earlier in the year. Visayan Electric’s residential rate stood at P12.79 per kWh in January and fell to P12.36 in March before climbing to P12.57 in April, P12.88 in May, P13.74 in June, P14.90 in July and P14.96 in August.
The latest adjustment highlights the continuing pressure on electricity prices in the Visayas, where supply conditions and wholesale market movements remain key factors affecting consumers’ monthly power bills.
