Residents across the Visayas are bracing for higher electricity bills this April, as the intense summer heat drives up demand and triggers a sharp rise in power costs. Prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) in the region have nearly doubled compared to previous months, according to the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP).
The significant surge began in the first week of March 2025 and has continued through the peak of the dry season. Based on IEMOP data, WESM prices in the Visayas rose by 95.5%, pushing electricity rates higher across the board.
Key Drivers of the Price Hike
The steep increase in market prices is being attributed to a combination of supply constraints and rising demand:
Planned and Forced Outages: Several power plants—particularly those using coal and natural gas—underwent scheduled maintenance and suffered unexpected breakdowns. These outages reduced the available power supply on the grid, tightening the market.
Rising Demand Due to Extreme Heat: As temperatures soared in early March, energy consumption spiked. Demand for electricity in the Visayas rose by 5.9%, peaking at 13,670 megawatts (MW), as households and businesses ramped up the use of cooling appliances.
This imbalance between limited supply and growing demand has placed upward pressure on electricity prices, affecting both households and businesses in the region.
Authorities are advising consumers to adopt energy-saving measures to help manage consumption and reduce the impact of the price hike.
