Senator Erwin Tulfo has vowed to lead a Senate investigation into recurring surges in electricity bills, aiming to push for stronger consumer safeguards across the energy sector.
Addressing the rising volume of public complaints regarding sudden rate hikes, confusing utility bills, disputed meter readings, and persistent power outages, Tulfo questioned the government’s ability to intervene.
“Is the government really powerless here? For instance, if an electric cooperative’s service is awful and the people are fed up with it, are we helpless?” he said in a statement.
While pressing for reforms, the chair of the Senate Committee on Energy recognized the need to balance consumer protections with the operational realities of energy providers.
“While electric distribution utilities and generation companies are entitled to recover prudent and legitimate costs necessary to maintain reliable electric service and undertake essential capital investments, consumers likewise have the right to fair, transparent, accurate, and reasonable electricity charges and access to timely and effective complaint resolution mechanisms,” he emphasized.
Through Senate Resolution No. 535, Tulfo is seeking a comprehensive inquiry alongside the creation of long-term policies to better shield power consumers from unfair practices.
“Our country has the highest electricity rates in Southeast area. We cannot let our countrymen to just accept this, especially with wage rates remaining stagnant,” Tulfo remarked.
He further pledged to pursue meaningful solutions to make power rates manageable for ordinary households.
“We will find out how to temper these high electricity prices, make it affordable for Filipinos. In this day and age, access to power is a right and not a mere luxury. Every Filipino deserves fair electricity rates,” he said.
The call for a legislative probe follows a rate hike by the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) in July, which bumped overall power charges up by ₱0.3428 per kilowatt-hour—raising the rate to ₱14.8261 per kWh from June’s ₱14.4833 per kWh. The increase adds roughly ₱69 to the monthly bill of a household consuming 200 kWh.