{
  "id": 9654589,
  "title": "Philippine power bills beat Singapore’s — and debate over EPIRA is back",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/philippine-power-bills-beat-singapores-and-debate-over-epira-is-back",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-24T23:17:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/business/energy/philippine-power-bills-beat-singapores-and-debate-over-epira-is-back-1.500686903"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Philippines has now surpassed Singapore as the ASEAN nation with the highest average residential electricity rate, according to recent Department of Energy (DOE) data. In June 2026, the Philippines' average residential electricity rate was ₱ 12.43 per kilowatt-hour, just 9.3 centavos above Singapore's ₱ 12.34 per kWh. This ranking emphasizes short-term fluctuations, as electricity prices vary monthly based on factors such as exchange rates, consumer classes, taxes, subsidies, fuel prices, and methodologies. The higher average rate in the Philippines can be attributed to power supply shortages, plant outages, and greater reliance on more expensive generating facilities, particularly in the Visayas region. Consuming 200 kWh per month would have increased a household's electricity cost from ₱ 2,350 in January 2025 to ₱ 2,970 in July 2026, a rise of about ₱ 620, even with unchanged consumption. The debate over the EPIRA law (Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001) is reigniting, as criticisms focus on its inability to lower electricity rates, promote genuine market competition, and protect public welfare rather than private corporate profits.",
  "summary": "Manila: It's a title no government wants. The Philippines has now overtaken Singapore as the country with the highest average residential electricity rate in ASEAN. The data is still being debated. However, Department of Energy (DOE) data showed that the Philippines’ average residential electricity rate reached ₱ 12.43 per kilowatt-hour in June 2026, narrowly exceeding Singapore’s ₱ 12.34 per kWh…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Early exit for Philippine darling Eala at Singapore Open",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/early-exit-for-philippine-darling-eala-at-singapore-open",
        "published": "2026-09-24T20:52:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}