Estimate · VECO2.48 kWp
₱3,000 a month≈ 201 kWh at ₱14.89
- Solar used at home≈76 kWh × ₱14.89
- −₱1,137
- Export credit≈203 kWh × ₱8.19
- −₱1,660
Estimated bill after₱204
₱2,796 a month, about ₱33,600 in year one, from 4 × 620 W panels.
Solar savings calculator · Cebu
Solar savings calculator for Cebu: your bill, before and after.
A solar calculator for Cebu, Philippines, built on VECO, MECO and CEBECO rates. Put in your monthly bill and your utility. See the system size, what solar would take off the bill each month, how much of the solar you would use at home or export for credit, and how the savings add up over 25 years, with every assumption on the page.
- No sign-up
- Rates as of Sep 2026
- Assumptions shown
Late afternoon, net-metered homeA visual guide
- Solar energy
- Exported to the grid
The short answer
For an example ₱8,000 VECO bill, about 537 kWh a month for a family home with aircon at ₱14.89/kWh (Sep 2026), a solar-only system of 3.7 kWp would save an estimated ₱4,791 a month, about ₱57,500 in the first year, leaving a bill of about ₱3,200. About 63% of that saving comes from solar used at home; the rest is net-metering credit for what you export.
Homes that use more power by day save more; evening-heavy homes save less. In a cautious case (rates back at 2025 levels and never rising, weaker sun, a lower export credit) the same system takes about 4.0 years to pay back instead of 2.7 years. Estimates only, at list prices. Payback and 25-year figures exclude maintenance, inverter or battery replacement, financing and VAT treatment.
The savings simulator
Your own numbers,
month by month and over 25 years.
Change any input and the bill comparison, energy split and projection update together. Everything runs on our published calculator and the latest published utility rates.
Savings simulator · Cebu
Rates as of Sep 2026, Oct 2026 · list prices · no sign-upEstimated saving, first year
₱4,791a month
About ₱57,500 in year one. Your VECO bill drops by about 60%, from ₱8,000 to ₱3,209.
- Solar used at home
- −₱3,031≈204 kWh × ₱14.89
- Export credit
- −₱1,760≈215 kWh × ₱8.19
- You’d still pay
- ₱3,209was ₱8,000
Where its 419 kWh a month go49% used at home
- Used as it’s made 204 kWh
- Exported for credit 215 kWh
- Your use
- 537 kWh/mo
- Solar makes
- 419 kWh/mo
- 78% of your use
- CO₂ avoided
- ≈ 3.5 t/yr
- at 0.7 kg per kWh
- System
- 6 × 620 W · 3.72 kWp
- Deye SUN-5K-SG04LP1
- List price
- ₱157,200
- ±8%: ₱145k–₱170k
- Payback
- ≈ 2.7 years
- at 3% a year, before upkeep and replacements
Your money over 25 years
Savings minus the system’s price: about ₱1.80M ahead by year 25
Rates rising 3% a year, panels losing 0.5% a year. Excludes maintenance, inverter or battery replacement, financing and VAT treatment.
₱0
₱1.00M
₱2.00M
Break-evenYear-by-year table
| Year | Saving that year | Net position |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ₱57,495 | −₱99,705 |
| Year 2 | ₱58,924 | −₱40,781 |
| Year 3 | ₱60,388 | ₱19,607 |
| Year 4 | ₱61,889 | ₱81,495 |
| Year 5 | ₱63,427 | ₱144,922 |
| Year 10 | ₱71,709 | ₱486,495 |
| Year 15 | ₱81,073 | ₱872,671 |
| Year 20 | ₱91,659 | ₱1,309,274 |
| Year 25 | ₱103,628 | ₱1,802,889 |
Estimate, not a guarantee: VECO at ₱14.89/kWh (Sep 2026), 1,350 kWh per kWp a year, exports credited at 55% of the rate, the ₱157,200 list price before any promotion. At least 5% of the bill stays for fixed charges and taxes. How we calculate this
Illustrative estimates for a typical Cebu house (our 3-bedroom appliance profile). Final sizing, price and savings follow a site assessment of your roof and wiring. Payback is not guaranteed. Payback and 25-year figures exclude maintenance, inverter or battery replacement, financing and VAT treatment.
The answer in pesos
What solar takes off
a Cebu electricity bill.
Three example VECO bills at ₱14.89/kWh (Sep 2026), each with a solar-only system sized by our calculator. ₱3,000 is close to VECO’s own 200 kWh reference home. Illustrative estimates, not real bills.
Estimate · VECO3.72 kWp
₱8,000 a month≈ 537 kWh at ₱14.89
- Solar used at home≈204 kWh × ₱14.89
- −₱3,031
- Export credit≈215 kWh × ₱8.19
- −₱1,760
Estimated bill after₱3,209
₱4,791 a month, about ₱57,500 in year one, from 6 × 620 W panels.
Estimate · VECO5.58 kWp
₱12,000 a month≈ 806 kWh at ₱14.89
- Solar used at home≈305 kWh × ₱14.89
- −₱4,546
- Export credit≈322 kWh × ₱8.19
- −₱2,640
Estimated bill after₱4,813
₱7,187 a month, about ₱86,200 in year one, from 9 × 620 W panels.
Why most bills don’t reach zeroThe system is sized to cover about 70% of your yearly use, you still buy power after sunset, and exports earn the utility’s generation charge (we assume 55% of the rate) rather than the full rate. Even on a small bill that solar nearly covers, we leave 5% for fixed charges and taxes. What these systems cost, line by line, is in our Cebu solar installation cost guide.
Get my itemised estimateIf you changed the simulator, your bill, utility and choices carry over. Or go back to the simulator.
Self-consumption vs export
A kWh you use is worth more
than a kWh you export.
This is the single biggest idea in solar savings. It is why daytime use matters, and why we do not size systems to cover 100% of a bill. The full story, from survey to switch-on, is in how solar works.
A day of solar savings
01 / 04One Cebu home, one dayA visual guide
- Solar energy
- Grid
- Battery
Chapter 01
Used as it’s made
Solar runs whatever is on.
Fridge, fans, router, a washing machine: every kWh the panels supply here is a kWh you do not buy. On VECO that is worth the full ₱14.89.
Saves ₱14.89 per kWh
Chapter 02
Exported for credit
The surplus goes out through the net meter.
When the panels make more than the house uses, the extra flows to the grid. With net metering it earns a credit at the utility’s generation charge, which our calculator puts at 55% of the rate: about ₱8.19 per kWh on VECO.
Earns ≈ ₱8.19 per kWh
Chapter 03
Bought from the grid
After sunset, you buy power as usual.
Aircons, lights and cooking pull from the grid at the normal rate. Credits from the day reduce the bill later, but they are worth less per kWh than the power you buy back.
Credits offset part of it
Chapter 04
Stored for later
A battery turns cheap exports into full-rate savings.
Daytime surplus charges the battery instead of leaving, then runs the house after dark. Each stored kWh saves most of the full rate (some energy is lost charging and discharging), and the battery also carries backup circuits through a brownout.
Most of the full rate, plus backup
At your pace. Select any chapter.
What one kWh is worth, by utility
All-in household rate versus our cautious export credit (55%). Rates as published for Sep 2026, Oct 2026.
- VECOused ₱14.89exported ≈₱8.19
- MECOused ₱15.98exported ≈₱8.79
- CEBECO Iused ₱15.24exported ≈₱8.38
- CEBECO IIused ₱15.91exported ≈₱8.75
- CEBECO IIIused ₱15.08exported ≈₱8.29
| Utility, month | Share (generation charge) |
|---|---|
| VECO, Sep 2026 | ≈ 54%about ₱8/kWh (tracker) |
| CEBECO I, Sep 2026 | 56.6%₱8.62/kWh |
| MECO, Sep 2026 | 61.1%₱9.76/kWh |
| CEBECO III, Oct 2026 | 65–67%₱9.76–10.04/kWh |
| MECO, 2025 average | 46.5%closer to half |
The ERC’s 2025 net-metering rules price exports at the utility’s generation charge, not the full rate. That share has ranged from under half to two-thirds of the all-in rate, so we assume a cautious 55%. Credits roll over without expiry, and the rules make no provision for cash payouts. How to apply with your utility is covered in net metering in Cebu.
Seasonal sensitivity
Cebu’s sun across the year,
in pesos.
Our calculator uses one cautious annual yield. Spread over PVGIS’s 19-year monthly profile for Cebu City, the same system has clearly better and weaker months, but no bad season.
Output peaks in the hot dry months of March to May and dips in December and January. The rainy season costs less than most people expect: about 5% of output, not half. With net metering, your bill savings follow the same curve. We assume your use stays level through the year; homes with aircon often use more in April and May, which those months’ extra solar partly offsets.
- −5%Rainy season (Jun–Nov) output against the dry season (Dec–May), PVGIS 2005–2023.
- +29%March, the best month, against January, the weakest.
- ±15%January’s typical swing from one year to the next. The annual total varies by only about 4%.
- 1,350kWh per kWp a year in our calculator, about 5% below PVGIS’s 1,420 for free-standing panels.
Showing the simulator’s system: ₱8,000 VECO bill, mixed use, solar only. Change it
- Best month · Mar
- ₱5,361
- 488 kWh made
- Weakest · Jan
- ₱4,463
- 378 kWh made
- Rainy season average
- ₱4,700
- output 5% below the dry season
Month-by-month table
| Month | Solar made | Used at home | Saving | Bill after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 378 kWh | 204 kWh | ₱4,463 | ₱3,537 |
| February | 403 kWh | 204 kWh | ₱4,666 | ₱3,334 |
| March | 488 kWh | 204 kWh | ₱5,361 | ₱2,639 |
| April | 474 kWh | 204 kWh | ₱5,245 | ₱2,755 |
| May | 449 kWh | 204 kWh | ₱5,042 | ₱2,958 |
| June | 396 kWh | 204 kWh | ₱4,608 | ₱3,392 |
| July | 389 kWh | 204 kWh | ₱4,550 | ₱3,450 |
| August | 431 kWh | 204 kWh | ₱4,897 | ₱3,103 |
| September | 410 kWh | 204 kWh | ₱4,724 | ₱3,276 |
| October | 421 kWh | 204 kWh | ₱4,811 | ₱3,189 |
| November | 396 kWh | 204 kWh | ₱4,608 | ₱3,392 |
| December | 385 kWh | 204 kWh | ₱4,521 | ₱3,479 |
| Year | 5,022 kWh | 2,443 kWh | ₱57,495 | — |
Sensitivity
What moves your savings,
one assumption at a time.
Same ₱8,000 VECO system each time (6 × 620 W panels (3.72 kWp), ₱157,200 list). Only the named assumption changes.
| Scenario | What changes | Saving, year 1 | vs base | Payback | Net after 25 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base case1,350 kWh per kWp, 55% export credit, rates +3% a year, ₱14.89/kWh | 1,350 kWh per kWp, 55% export credit, rates +3% a year, ₱14.89/kWh | ₱4,791/mo | — | 2.7 years | ₱1.80 million |
| PVGIS long-term average1,420 kWh per kWp (free-standing panels) | 1,420 kWh per kWp (free-standing panels) | ₱4,969/mo | +₱178 | 2.6 years | ₱1.88 million |
| Lower yield1,250 kWh per kWp: some shade, dust or a steep north-facing roof | 1,250 kWh per kWp: some shade, dust or a steep north-facing roof | ₱4,537/mo | −₱254 | 2.8 years | ₱1.70 million |
| Home by day55% of use in sun hours (base 38%) | 55% of use in sun hours (base 38%) | ₱5,407/mo | +₱616 | 2.4 years | ₱2.05 million |
| Mostly evenings25% of use in sun hours | 25% of use in sun hours | ₱4,327/mo | −₱464 | 3.0 years | ₱1.61 million |
| Export credit at 2025 level46.5% of the rate (MECO’s 2025 average) | 46.5% of the rate (MECO’s 2025 average) | ₱4,519/mo | −₱272 | 2.8 years | ₱1.69 million |
| No export creditzero export, e.g. while a net meter is pending | zero export, e.g. while a net meter is pending | ₱3,031/mo | −₱1,760 | 4.2 years | ₱1.08 million |
| Rates fall back to 2025₱11.54/kWh, VECO’s 2025 average (the same use would cost ₱6,200) | ₱11.54/kWh, VECO’s 2025 average (the same use would cost ₱6,200) | ₱3,713/mo | −₱1,078 | 3.4 years | ₱1.36 million |
| Rates never rise0% a year | 0% a year | ₱4,791/mo | same in year 1 | 2.7 years | ₱1.20 million |
| Rates rise faster5% a year | 5% a year | ₱4,791/mo | same in year 1 | 2.6 years | ₱2.40 million |
| Cautious mix₱11.54/kWh, 1,250 kWh per kWp, 46.5% export credit, 0% a year | ₱11.54/kWh, 1,250 kWh per kWp, 46.5% export credit, 0% a year | ₱3,336/mo | −₱1,455 | 4.0 years | ₱786,000 |
Payback and 25-year figures exclude maintenance, inverter or battery replacement, financing and VAT treatment. The cautious mix matches the cautious case in our research (4.0 years here), which prices the same kWh at VECO’s 2025 average. For payback after running costs and replacements, see is solar worth it in Cebu?
Two things matter most after the size of your bill. The first is when you use power: the same panels save about ₱1,080 a month more in a home that runs its aircon and appliances by day than in one that uses most of its power after dark. If night-time aircon is most of your bill, our guide to solar for air-conditioned homes shows how to size for it. The second is the export credit: without it, payback stretches by about 1.5 years. The rate itself matters too: Cebu household rates rose about 19–45% in the year to September 2026, and if they fell back to VECO’s 2025 average the same system would save about ₱3,713 a month.
Rate rises barely move payback on systems that pay back in a few years, but they decide how large the 25-year figure gets. For the cautious and hopeful cases side by side, and the situations where solar is not worth it, read is solar worth it in Cebu?
Want the full itemised version for your own bill, with panels, inverter, mounting and installation priced line by line?
Get my itemised estimateOptional: battery storage
Solar only, or
solar with a battery?
A battery adds savings by storing daytime surplus for the evening, but most of its value is backup during brownouts, which is not counted below.
| Compared | ₱8k bill solar only | ₱8k bill + battery | ₱12k bill solar only | ₱12k bill + battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| System | 3.72 kWp | 4.34 kWp + 5.12 kWh | 5.58 kWp | 6.20 kWp + 5.12 kWh |
| List price | ₱157,200 | ₱227,900 | ₱218,300 | ₱304,000 |
| Saving, year 1 | ₱4,791/mo | ₱6,242/mo | ₱7,187/mo | ₱8,638/mo |
| Bill after | ₱3,209 | ₱1,758 | ₱4,813 | ₱3,362 |
| Payback | 2.7 years | 3.0 years | 2.5 years | 2.9 years |
| Net after 25 years | ₱1.80 million | ₱2.33 million | ₱2.72 million | ₱3.23 million |
| Brownout backup | None | ≈ 7 h of essentials | None | ≈ 7 h of essentials |
Payback and 25-year figures exclude maintenance, inverter or battery replacement, financing and VAT treatment. The 25-year figures assume no battery or inverter replacement within 25 years, which flatters the battery systems.
How we count backup timeFor backup we plan on 3.69 kWh delivered per 5.12 kWh battery (80% usable, 90% conversion): about 7 hours of essentials at roughly 0.5 kW. With a 1 HP inverter aircon on the backup circuit, that falls to about 3½–4½ hours, so we recommend two batteries. Only circuits on the backup port stay on in a brownout. The savings estimate is less strict: it lets each battery shift up to about 4.4 kWh a day and does not deduct storage losses. A battery that powers your evenings for savings will not always be full when a late-afternoon or evening brownout starts; keeping a backup reserve trades some of that saving for backup time.
In these examples the battery adds about ₱1,451 a month on a ₱8,000 bill, partly because the battery system also has a little more solar. Packages with and without a battery are compared in solar packages for Cebu; to size backup for the appliances you care about, use the battery guide.
Estimate my battery backupWorked examples
VECO, MECO and CEBECO,
worked out on live rates.
Illustrative households, not customers or real installations. The numbers are recalculated whenever the utility rates are updated. Payback and 25-year figures exclude maintenance, inverter or battery replacement, financing and VAT treatment.
VECO · ₱14.89Illustration · Sep 2026
Mandaue: ₱6,500 a month, mixed use
A three-bedroom house with the usual mix: fridge and fans all day, aircons mostly at night.
Before₱6,500
After₱2,536
- Saving
- ₱3,964/mo
- Used at home
- 47%
- System
- 3.10 kWp
- Payback
- 2.8 years
MECO · ₱15.98Illustration · Sep 2026
Lapu-Lapu: ₱12,000 a month, home by day, with a battery
Someone works from home, so the aircon and computers run while the sun is up. They want brownout backup too.
Before₱12,000
After₱1,955
- Saving
- ₱10,045/mo
- Used at home
- 78%
- System
- 6.20 kWp + 1 batt.
- Payback
- 2.5 years
CEBECO I · ₱15.24Illustration · Sep 2026
Carcar: ₱4,500 a month, mostly evenings
Everyone is out at work and school by day; most power is used after 5 p.m.
Before₱4,500
After₱1,655
- Saving
- ₱2,845/mo
- Used at home
- 26%
- System
- 2.48 kWp
- Payback
- 3.4 years
| Utility | Rate | Use | System | Saving, year 1 | Bill after | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VECO | ₱14.89Sep 2026 | 537 kWh/mo | 3.72 kWp | ₱4,791/mo | ₱3,209 | 2.7 years |
| MECO | ₱15.98Sep 2026 | 501 kWh/mo | 3.72 kWp | ₱5,042/mo | ₱2,958 | 2.5 years |
| CEBECO I | ₱15.24Sep 2026 | 525 kWh/mo | 3.72 kWp | ₱4,872/mo | ₱3,128 | 2.6 years |
| CEBECO II | ≈ ₱15.91Sep 2026, tracker | 503 kWh/mo | 3.72 kWp | ₱5,026/mo | ₱2,974 | 2.6 years |
| CEBECO III | ₱15.08Oct 2026 | 531 kWh/mo | 3.72 kWp | ₱4,835/mo | ₱3,165 | 2.7 years |
Mixed daytime use (about 38% in sun hours) on every utility. A higher rate means the same peso bill buys fewer kWh (here every utility still rounds to 6 panels), but each kWh solar replaces is worth more, so savings rise with the rate. CEBECO II’s rate is a tracker estimate (ICSC PRESYO); the co-op’s own latest advisory we found is from March 2026. Payback and 25-year figures exclude maintenance, inverter or battery replacement, financing and VAT treatment.
Local context
Why the simulator offers
three rate scenarios.
Cebu household rates moved a lot in 2025–26. We print the month next to every rate, because next month’s will be different.
- ₱14.89VECOper kWh, Sep 2026
- ₱15.98MECOper kWh, Sep 2026
- ₱15.24CEBECO Iper kWh, Sep 2026
- ₱15.91CEBECO IIper kWh, Sep 2026 (tracker)
- ₱15.08CEBECO IIIper kWh, Oct 2026
+19% to +45%
How much Cebu household rates rose in the year to September 2026, from VECO at the low end to CEBECO III at the high end.
₱21.24
What VECO’s September 2026 rate would have been without temporary relief measures, against the ₱14.89 actually charged. Deferred costs can come back later.
4–8% a year
Average yearly growth from 2020 to 2025 across Cebu’s utilities (VECO 4.2%, MECO 8.0%). Not every year: VECO’s rate fell in 2024 and 2025.
So we use 3% a year as the base case, below the long-run trend, and show 0% and 5% beside it. Rates typically move ₱0.50–₱1.00 per kWh from one month to the next. As of 16 October 2026, VECO and MECO had not yet published October rates.
Full calculator and assumptions
How the calculator
works out your savings.
The same itemised prices, system sizing and energy model run the calculator on our homepage and the estimates across our solar guides. This page also stops savings at 95% of the bill, which only changes small bills. A quotation then uses your real usage and roof after a site assessment.
Bill to kWh
Your bill ÷ your utility’s all-in rate. ₱8,000 on VECO is about 537 kWh a month.
Size the system
Enough 620 W panels to cover about 70% of a year’s use (85% with a battery), minimum four, on the smallest Deye hybrid inverter with room to add panels later.
Estimate production
1,350 kWh per kWp a year, about 112 per month on average. The seasonal chart spreads this over PVGIS’s monthly profile.
Split it
Solar is used as it is made up to your daytime use (about 38% of the total for a typical home), then stored in any battery (up to about 4.4 kWh a day per battery, before storage losses) up to your evening use, and the rest is exported. This is netted on monthly totals, so real self-use is somewhat lower.
Put a value on it
Self-used kWh at your full rate; exported kWh at 55% of it. Savings stop at 95% of your bill: fixed charges and taxes stay, and credits are not paid out in cash.
Project 25 years
Rates rise 3% a year (0% and 5% shown), panels lose 0.5% a year after the first. Payback is when cumulative savings pass the list price.
Assumptions, with the evidence behind each
- Solar yield
- 1,350 kWh/kWp a year
- PVGIS gives about 1,420 for Cebu City (1,367 for hotter roof-flush panels), run 16 Oct 2026. Ours is cautious.
- Export credit
- 55% of the rate
- Generation charges were about 54–67% of household rates in Sep–Oct 2026; MECO’s averaged 46.5% in 2025. Cautious for 2026.
- Rate rise
- 3% a year
- Below every Cebu utility’s 2020–2025 average (about 4–8% a year), though rates fall in some years.
- Panel ageing
- 0.5% a year
- About the same over 25 years as published N-type panel warranty curves (for example Jinko’s Tiger Neo: up to 1% in year one, then 0.4% a year). Our model starts at full output in year one and loses 0.5% a year after that. Your panel’s own warranty is confirmed in your proposal.
- Daytime share
- ≈38% (25%–55%)
- From our 3-bedroom appliance profile. Your own pattern is the biggest unknown; choose it in the simulator.
- Self-use
- Monthly totals
- Solar is matched against your daytime use month by month, so the model assumes it covers that use whenever the month’s output is larger. Early mornings, late afternoons and cloudy days make real self-use somewhat lower and exports higher.
- Grid CO₂
- 0.7 kg per kWh
- Slightly below the DOE’s 2022–2024 Luzon-Visayas grid factors (0.73–0.74 t/MWh), so the CO₂ figure is cautious too. With no export credit we count only the solar used at home.
- Bill floor
- 5% of the bill stays
- The all-in rate spreads fixed charges across every kWh, so we never count more than 95% of a bill as saved. That leaves room for fixed charges, such as CEBECO III’s ₱5 monthly meter fee, and taxes. It only matters for small bills.
- Battery shifting
- ≈4.4 kWh a day
- The most one 5.12 kWh battery can move into the evening in the savings estimate (the site calculator’s basis), before storage losses. Backup runtime uses a more cautious 3.69 kWh.
- Prices
- Our list prices
- Itemised components and installation, before any promotion, with a ±8% band. Confirmed after a site assessment.
Not in the projection
- Maintenance and cleaning
- Replacing the inverter within 25 years
- Replacing a battery
- Financing costs
- VAT treatment
- The value of backup during brownouts
Payback and 25-year figures are estimates, not guarantees. Real savings depend on your actual usage, roof, weather and future rates. Warranty terms are confirmed in your proposal.
STRAIGHT ANSWERS
Solar savings questions,
answered plainly.
The questions Cebu homeowners ask before trusting a savings figure.
Still unsure? Ask an advisor below. There is no obligation to request a quote.
01How much can solar save on my electricity bill in Cebu?
On VECO rates (₱14.89/kWh, Sep 2026), our calculator estimates that a solar-only system saves about ₱4,791 a month on an ₱8,000 bill in the first year, roughly 60% of the bill, and about ₱7,187 on ₱12,000. On a ₱3,000 bill it is about ₱2,796, but that is a special case: even a 4-panel system makes more than such a home uses, so much of the saving is export credit, and we never count more than 95% of a bill as saved.
Your own figure depends mostly on how much power you use while the sun is up and whether your net-metering application is approved. The simulator on this page shows both.
02How many solar panels do I need for my bill?
Divide your bill by your utility's all-in rate to get your monthly kWh. Our calculator then sizes the system to cover about 70% of a year's use (85% with a battery), assuming each kWp of panels makes 1,350 kWh a year. A ₱8,000 VECO bill is about 537 kWh a month, which works out to 6 × 620 W panels (3.72 kWp) without a battery.
A site assessment then checks your roof space, shading and wiring before anything is final.
03Why won't solar take my bill to zero?
Four reasons. The system is sized to cover about 70% of your use, because oversizing mostly creates exports that earn less. You still buy power at night unless you add a battery. Exported power is credited at your utility's generation charge, not the full rate. And small fixed charges and taxes stay on the bill, so we never count more than 95% of a bill as saved.
Net-metering credits are bill credits only: they roll over without expiry, and the rules make no provision for paying them out in cash.
04Is exported solar credited at the full VECO, MECO or CEBECO rate?
No. Under ERC Resolution No. 15, Series of 2025, exported power is priced at the utility's monthly generation charge. In Sep–Oct 2026 that was about 54–67% of the all-in household rate across Cebu's utilities, and closer to half in 2025. Our calculator assumes 55%, so a kWh you export on VECO is worth about ₱8.19 against ₱14.89 for a kWh you use yourself.
05Do my solar savings drop in the rainy season?
A little. In PVGIS data for Cebu City, June to November produces about 5% less than December to May. The weakest month is usually January and the best is March, about 29% apart. One unusually cloudy or stormy month can cut output by around 15%, but the yearly total varies by only about 4%.
06Does adding a battery increase my savings?
Somewhat. On a ₱8,000 VECO bill, our calculator's battery option saves about ₱6,242 a month instead of ₱4,791, partly because the system is a little larger and partly because stored solar replaces evening grid power at the full rate. It also costs about ₱70,700 more, so payback is 3.0 years instead of 2.7 years (before maintenance, replacements, financing and VAT, and assuming no battery replacement). The estimate lets each battery shift up to about 4.4 kWh a day and does not deduct storage losses.
The main reason to add one is brownout backup: about 7 hours of essentials (around 0.5 kW) per 5.12 kWh battery. If an aircon is on the backup circuit, plan on two batteries.
07What if my exports earn no credit?
That is a zero-export case: the system still powers your home by day, but surplus solar earns nothing. It can apply while a net-metering application is pending, and may apply where the local feeder has little or no hosting capacity left (Visayan Electric’s table of 15 October 2026 shows 11 of the 65 feeders listed at 0 MW); the utility’s impact study decides what can be connected and exported. For a ₱8,000 VECO bill it lowers the estimated saving from ₱4,791 to about ₱3,031 a month and stretches payback from 2.7 years to about 4.2 years (before maintenance, replacements, financing and VAT). Choose "No credit" under Export credit in the simulator to see your own case.
Once net metering is approved, billing of credits runs from the date the utility tests and commissions the system (ERC Resolution No. 15, Series of 2025, §12). Whether a system may run before then is up to your utility. The net-metering paperwork is included in our itemised estimate.
08Will my savings grow if electricity prices keep rising?
Yes. Every kWh solar replaces is worth whatever the rate is at the time. We assume rates rise 3% a year, which is below the 2020–2025 average for every Cebu utility (about 4–8% a year). Rates do not rise in a straight line, though: VECO's fell in 2024 and 2025 before jumping in 2026. The simulator shows 0%, 3% and 5% side by side, and the sensitivity table shows what happens if rates fall back to VECO's 2025 average.
THREE WAYS TO MOVE FORWARD
Turn the estimate
into a real quote.
See your full itemised estimate, ask for a site assessment and proposal, or put a question to a person first. If you used the simulator, your choices (bill, utility, battery and usage) travel with any request.
Route A
Instant estimate
Your system, installed price and savings in about 30 seconds. No contact details needed.
Start the calculatorRoute BRequest a quote
Share a few details and we’ll prepare a proposal after a site assessment.
Request my quoteRoute CAsk an advisor
Have a question first? Ask it here and get a straight answer.
Ask a questionROUTE A · INSTANT ESTIMATE
Get your own estimate.
The same calculator and prices as the rest of the site. Your estimate stays on your screen unless you ask us to contact you.
Have a promo code?
Your promo code takes 10% off your system estimate, up to ₱50,000.
Let’s start with your electricity bill.
Choose your usual monthly bill. An estimate is all you need.
Using VECO at ₱14.89/kWh · Sep 2026. You can change your provider later.
About 30 seconds · No obligation
ROUTES B & C · TALK TO US
Prefer a quote or a conversation?
Every quotation follows a site assessment of your roof, wiring and priorities, so the price you approve is the price of the system you get.
Request a quote
A short form. We’ll look at your bill and roof, then prepare an itemised proposal with savings worked out on your real usage.
Ask a solar advisor
Not ready for a quote? Ask about your solar savings and we’ll reply by phone or email.
Sources & assumptions
Reviewed 16 October 2026 · Our prices and savings are recalculated from the itemised calculator at page load
Sources & assumptions
Reviewed 16 October 2026 · Our prices and savings are recalculated from the itemised calculator at page load
- Visayan Electric: September 2026 rate announcement (opens in a new tab)
₱14.89/kWh for a 200 kWh home; about ₱21.24 without temporary relief. Posted 26 Sep 2026, updated 28 Sep 2026.
- Visayan Electric newsroom (opens in a new tab)
No October 2026 rate had been posted when we checked on 16 Oct 2026.
- MECO: average residential rate, September 2026 (opens in a new tab)
₱15.9806/kWh; generation charge ₱9.7611 (61%). Posted 1 Oct 2026.
- MECO: monthly rates and generation-charge breakdowns (opens in a new tab)
2025 monthly sheets: the generation charge was 39–52% of the all-in residential rate, 46.5% on average (our arithmetic). Read 16 Oct 2026.
- CEBECO I: Power Rates Advisory, September 2026 billing (opens in a new tab)
₱15.24/kWh at 100 kWh; generation ₱8.62 (about 57%).
- CEBECO III: Rate Schedule for the Year 2026 (opens in a new tab)
September and October 2026 schedules, posted 9 Oct 2026. About ₱15.08/kWh at 100 kWh including the ₱5 monthly meter fee (our arithmetic).
- ICSC PRESYO-PH electricity price tracker (opens in a new tab)
CEBECO II about ₱15.9/kWh (Sep 2026); VECO generation share about 54%; 2020–2025 annual averages, including VECO’s 2025 average of about ₱11.54/kWh (our derivation from the tracker’s monthly data). Also Sep 2025 against Sep 2026 monthly rates, for the 19–45% year-on-year rise (our arithmetic). A guided pilot; latest disclosure Sep 2026, read 16 Oct 2026.
- ERC Resolution No. 15, Series of 2025 (copy hosted by Visayan Electric) (opens in a new tab)
Annex A §13: exports priced at the utility's monthly generation charge. §12: billing retroacts from successful testing and commissioning. §18: credits banked and rolled over, with no cash-out provision. Issued 27 Aug 2025.
- DOE Department Circular DC2024-08-0025 (summary by Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia) (opens in a new tab)
Issued 19 Aug 2024; removed the earlier one-year limit on banking credits, so credits roll over without expiry. Law-firm summary, undated; recited in ERC Res. 15.
- Visayan Electric: Hosting capacity per substation and feeder (as of 30 September 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Linked PDF VE-PSPD-REG-20261015-03, dated 15 Oct 2026: 11 of the 65 listed 23 kV feeders show 0.00 MW of hosting capacity.
- PVGIS 5.3, European Commission JRC: Cebu City, 1 kWp (opens in a new tab)
PVGIS-ERA5 2005–2023: 1,420 kWh/kWp a year (1,367 roof-flush); monthly profile from 107 (Jan) to 138 (Mar). Run 16 Oct 2026.
- DOE: National Grid Emission Factor (opens in a new tab)
Luzon-Visayas grid, 2022–2024: 0.731 t CO₂/MWh operating margin, 0.745 combined margin for solar. Page reviewed 10 Sep 2026.
- Jinko Solar: Tiger Neo 3.0 N-type module (opens in a new tab)
Published linear power warranty: up to 1% loss in year one, then 0.4% a year. Shown only as a reference curve for our 0.5% a year assumption; the panel brand in your system is confirmed in your proposal. Page undated (©2026), read 16 Oct 2026.
- PAGASA: Climate of the Philippines (opens in a new tab)
Rainy season June–November; dry season December–May. Undated page, read 16 Oct 2026.
Your bill, your numbers
The best savings estimate
starts with your real bill.
Run your bill through the simulator, then get an itemised estimate or ask for a site assessment. No payment and no obligation to request a quote.
YOUR NEXT QUESTION
Keep planning
Each guide answers one question properly, with the numbers and sources behind it.