BUSINESS

Lower transmission charges trim June power bills

Maria Bernadette Romero

Consumers may see lower electricity bills this June after transmission charges declined in the May billing period, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines announced on Monday.

The grid operator disclosed that the overall average transmission rate fell by 9.33 percent to P1.4492 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from P1.5983/kWh in April, reflecting lower transmission wheeling and ancillary services charges.

Transmission wheeling rates, which cover the cost of delivering electricity through the grid, declined by 6.99 percent to P0.5607/kWh from P0.6028/kWh in the previous billing period.

Meanwhile, AS rates, which cover reserve power procured to support grid reliability, dropped by 10.73 percent to P0.7220/kWh from P0.8088/kWh.