Contestable power customers saved P19 billion in first 9 months — PEMC

POWER CONSUMERS who chose their preferred electricity suppliers saved about P19.25 billion in the first nine months of 2025, according to the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC).

The savings estimate exceeded the P16.76 billion in estimated savings over the full year of 2024, the PEMC said in a retail market assessment report.

The PEMC, the governance arm of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), said in third quarter, estimated savings for contestable end-users at about P9.93 billion — the highest level to date, with retail weighted-average generation rates ranging from P5.68 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to P5.75 per kWh.

The corresponding average generation rates charged by distribution utilities ranged from P6.12-P6.66 per kWh.

Through the competitive retail electricity market (CREM), contestable customers are those qualified to choose their supplier of electricity, while captive customers are required to stay within their respective distribution utilities.

“Market participation continued to expand in the third quarter of 2025, with total registered contestable end-users increasing to 2,412, up from 2,290 in the previous quarter,” PEMC said.

The savings estimate covers over 64% of all eligible end-users, it said.

Luzon accounted for 86% of all contestable end-users, while the Visayas and Mindanao represented 12% and 3%, respectively. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera