The ERC's draft EV charging station rules, explained for property owners
The ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) has published draft rules for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, under ERC Case No. 2026-006 RM. If they're adopted as drafted, a charger on its own utility meter would have no minimum billing, slower AC (alternating current) stations would pay no bill deposit, and your utility would have 20 working days to answer a complete connection application.
Comments are due on or before Friday, 6 November 2026, and the public consultations are on 23 and 24 November (ERC notice).
We read all 22 pages of the draft in October 2026. Below is what it says for owners who host chargers, or are thinking about it. It's a draft, so any of it can change before the final rules. Section numbers are the draft's own.
You can own a station, but charging drivers a fee needs DOE accreditation
The draft lets a property owner own, finance or operate a charging station (Sections 4 and 5(j)). If you own or run a public station and collect a charging fee, you count as an EV charging station Provider, and you need DOE (Department of Energy) accreditation first (Section 6). A private station for your own vehicles that charges no fee doesn't need it.
A private station that later lets other people charge for a fee becomes a commercial-use station, and the accreditation rule then applies.
Get a separate utility meter for the billing benefits
On a connection with its own utility meter, used only for EV charging, the utility couldn't charge a guaranteed minimum billing demand, a demand ratchet or any other minimum charge (Section 9.1). You'd still pay for the power and demand you actually use.
The deposit changes too (Section 9.4). AC stations would pay no bill deposit, and DC (direct current) fast-charging stations would pay half the usual amount. A site with both counts as DC. An account with a history of missed payments pays the full deposit.
A sub-meter on the building's main meter doesn't qualify for either benefit (Section 19). The draft wants commercial stations metered separately where it's technically and economically feasible. If the utility says it isn't, it has to explain why in writing, and you can contest it.
One catch: the utility can check, once every two years or after a complaint, that the connection is still used for charging (Section 9.2). If it isn't, the minimum billing can come back. You'd have 15 days to contest.
Who pays to connect the station
The utility's study of how the station affects its grid would be free (Sections 15 and 22). The applicant pays for the service drop, the dedicated wires and the meter (Section 16(a)). Upgrades further up the line, such as a transformer, are free if they're already in the utility's ERC-approved spending plan; if they aren't, the applicant pays, with possible refunds. If an upgrade you paid for later serves other customers, the utility refunds or credits you (Section 16(b)).
Your utility gets 20 working days to answer
From a complete application, the utility has 20 working days to confirm capacity and make a connection offer, plus one more 20 days if an upgrade is needed (Section 21(a)). If it misses the deadline, the application counts as approved (Section 21(b)). Power is switched on only after any upgrade is done and the site passes inspection. Your local government permits are separate and still apply.
Small private chargers need only a notice
Private chargers of up to 7.4 kW (kilowatts) in total on one connection, for your own vehicles or your business's own vehicles, and not public or for a fee, need no utility approval (Section 20). You file a notice form. Local government permits still apply.
Existing stations get the benefits at once
Stations already running keep their current installation. The minimum billing comes off from the next bill, with no refund of past bills (Section 9.3). They have 180 days to meet the draft's "other requirements" (Section 25).
Questions the draft leaves open for owners
- A mall, hotel or office that offers free charging to customers or staff: does that station need DOE accreditation, and does it get the billing benefits?
- Charging included in a parking fee, room rate, rent or condominium dues: does that count as charging "for a fee"?
- When does a station count as "no longer used"? A broken charger waiting for repair, or the gap between one Provider leaving and the next arriving, could trigger the minimum billing again.
- Which "other requirements" must existing stations meet in 180 days? Does a station wired to a building's main meter have to add a separate one?
- If your Provider loses its DOE accreditation mid-contract, what happens to the connection and its benefits?
- At the end of a deal, can the connection, meter and account move to you or to the next Provider without a new application?
ZEEE Green is raising these in its comments to the ERC.
Put these points in your host agreement
Most of what the draft leaves to the parties gets settled in your contract with the Provider. Agree in writing on:
- who files the application and holds the utility account
- who pays for the connection and any upgrade, and who gets any refund
- a dedicated utility meter for the chargers
- who pays if the minimum billing comes back, and the Provider's duty to keep the station working
- site access for utility inspections and ERC audits
- the Provider keeping its DOE accreditation for the whole term
- what happens to the connection, meter and account at the end
- who posts any deposit
Our Host Agreement Checklist has the other questions to ask before you sign.
Send your own comments by 6 November
The ERC takes comments on its own template. Its notice explains where to send them and how to register for the consultations on 23 and 24 November.
About ZEEE Green
ZEEE Green Business Consultancy is an independent EV charging advisor based in Santo Tomas, Batangas, serving commercial property owners across CALABARZON, Philippines. It assesses whether a property suits EV charging and advises owners on how to plan and evaluate their charging options, including DOE-accredited charging Providers. ZEEE Green does not sell, install or operate chargers, and it does not broker, lease or sell property.
If you own a commercial property in CALABARZON, book a free site screening (limited slots each month) or call +63 993 208 7891.
This article summarises a draft and is not legal advice. Check the official text before you rely on it.