Filipino power consumers with unpaid bills will get temporary protection from disconnection until July as the government moves to cushion households and businesses from energy pressure linked to the Middle East conflict.
The Energy Regulatory Commission has ordered all power distribution utilities nationwide, including Manila Electric Co., to suspend service disconnections for customers who fail to pay their electricity bills from May to July 2026. The order covers residential and nonresidential customers across the country.
The ERC said the advisory follows President Marcos’ move to place the Philippines under a state of national energy emergency because of the energy impact of the Middle East conflict. The commission said the situation poses “imminent danger on the availability and stability of the country’s energy supply.”
Under the order, distribution utilities must offer flexible payment arrangements to ease the financial burden on customers. Consumers using 200 kilowatt-hours or less per month may pay their electricity bills in three monthly installments.
The ERC also directed generation companies and major power sector entities to extend similar payment options to distribution utilities. The order covers the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., National Power Corp., National Transmission Corp., National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, independent power producers, and market operators.
The move comes as Meralco, the country’s biggest power distributor, raised power rates for a third straight month in April. Meralco serves more than 8.2 million consumers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Fuel prices also remain volatile. Effective this week, local oil retailers raised diesel prices by ₱2.66 per liter and gasoline prices by ₱2.21 per liter. Kerosene prices went down by ₱3.53 per liter.
For consumers, the ERC order means unpaid power bills from May to July 2026 should not lead to immediate service disconnection, while utilities and major power sector players must provide payment flexibility during the emergency period.
