NGCP: Transmission rates unaffected by energy crisis

THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said transmission wheeling rates will remain unaffected by the energy crisis, saying the rates are regulated and not tied to fuel prices.

At a briefing on Wednesday, NGCP Spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza reiterated that such charges are “revenue-capped” and pre-determined by the Energy Regulatory Commission.

“Our services and our transmission wheeling rates are not fuel-dependent; there is no impact or there will be no improvement on transmission rates based on the Middle Eastern conflict,” she said.

Transmission charges for the March period, which will be reflected in the April electricity bills, increased 4.26% to P1.7526 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from the previous month.

Julius Ryan D. Datingaling, NGCP head of business and regulatory development, said the increase in the overall transmission rates was driven by lower demand.

“The reason for the increase is attributed to the lower billing determinant energy for March 2026 billing period compared to the last month,” he said.

NGCP’s transmission wheeling rate, or the fee for delivering power through the transmission grid, increased 5.2% month on month to P0.7022 per kWh.

Meanwhile, ancillary service (AS) charges, which are pass-through costs for power supplied by power generators, rose 2.9% or P0.8516 per kWh.

“As the system operator, NGCP’s priority is to ensure the grid remains resilient during supply-demand imbalances. NGCP does not profit from AS charges, as these are remitted directly to the providers who help us maintain the continuous flow of electricity across the country,” it said. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera