SM Prime Holdings Inc. has moved National University (NU) and Asia Pacific College (APC) to the government’s Retail Aggregation Program (RAP) to cut power costs and gain more control over electricity supply.

The deal, signed last Tuesday, covers 967.13 kilowatts (kW) of demand for APC and three NU buildings in Manila, with AdventPower as the supplier. NU also plans to expand RAP coverage to 40 sites nationwide.

“The objective of RAP goes beyond lowering costs of power use in their facilities. It is also about reinvesting those savings in things that truly matter: better classrooms, smarter technology, improved facilities, and potentially, even more affordable tuition,” Energy Regulatory Commission CEO and chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta said Wednesday.

SM Prime follows Philippine Cultural College, which in March became the first school to adopt RAP by aggregating 740 kW of demand across five campuses in Quezon City, Manila, and Caloocan.

RAP allows users with less than 500 kW demand to combine their electricity needs and contract with a preferred supplier.