Energy Bureau weighs charging $48 million in fuel costs in November and December: up to 1.8 cents per kWh

Puerto Rico's Energy Bureau (NEPR) has a decision on its desk that could hit your power bill right in the holiday season: whether to order an "accelerated adjustment" that would collect September's fuel shortfall in November and December. LUMA put that shortfall at $54.4 million gross and about $48 million net ¹⁴. As of today the regulator has not ruled, and its president, Edison Avilés Deliz, says the matter "is under evaluation" ¹.

How we got here

In late September, the NEPR approved the quarterly factor for October through December: a net increase of 5.2848 cents per kWh, which lifted the non-subsidized residential rate from 28.57 to 33.85 cents, an 18.5% jump ¹. That figure relied on fuel projections that, by LUMA's own numbers, fell short almost immediately.

LUMA's contract requires it to notify the regulator when actual fuel and purchased-power costs deviate by more than $20 million from projections in a single month ¹⁴. It did so on Thursday, October 15, through an informational motion ¹⁴. LUMA insists this is not a rate request: it says it neither owns nor operates plants, does not buy fuel, and that its operating costs are not part of those charges ¹².

The numbers

• September fuel clause (FCA) shortfall: $54,373,961.22 ¹⁴. LUMA reported that the fuel burned cost $223 million while clause revenue was $168.7 million ².
• Purchased-power (PPCA) credit: $6,353,403.29 owed to customers, because independent producers cost $7.6 million less than projected ¹²⁴.
• Net shortfall: about $48 million ($48,020,557.93) ⁴.
• Possible impact: up to 1.8 cents per kWh if the NEPR orders the accelerated adjustment for November and December ³.
• Diesel: consumption ran 214.43% above projection and cost 35.08% more; 25.92% of the diesel was burned in units meant to run on NFEnergía natural gas, at an extra cost of $17.55 million ².
• Genera PR: 7 of its 14 temporary units were out of service and demand exceeded projections by 11.89% ². Another report put the available fleet at 47% ⁴.

Why spending spiked

LUMA and the case coverage point to three causes: fuel cost variations, higher consumption from above-normal temperatures, and forced outages of large units ¹. When liquefied natural gas did not arrive, plants switched to pricier diesel. The gas supply interruption began September 16; the tanker docked October 13 after a federal court order and an NEPR clarification of a payment order ¹. Zak Ahmed, general director of NFEnergía, blamed "port access difficulties" and said the problem "is not the contract or the availability of natural gas" ¹.

What it means for you

If the NEPR approves the 1.8-cent-per-kWh adjustment, a household using 400 kWh a month would pay about $7.20 more in each of November and December; one using 800 kWh, about $14.40 (our own math using the adjustment figure) ³. If the NEPR does not act, the shortfall would roll into the next quarterly adjustment, which would start in January ². The money does not vanish: it is collected now, quickly, or later, in the next quarter.

Its president indicated that September's shortfall will not necessarily be judged in the short term ³. Commissioners can call a hearing, decline to act, or push the matter to the next reconciliation ¹. LUMA CEO Janisse Quiñones said the company takes no position on whether an accelerated adjustment is warranted ³.

How to / Checklist

1. Find your monthly kWh usage on your LUMA bill and multiply it by 0.018 to estimate the worst-case adjustment ³.
2. Review the breakdown of your November bill: the fuel (FCA) and purchased-power (PPCA) lines are the ones that would change ¹.
3. If you see a charge you do not understand, file a complaint with LUMA through lumapr.com or its service line, and keep your case number.
4. If LUMA does not resolve it, you can escalate to the NEPR through energia.pr.gov, where the case docket (NEPR-MI-2020-0001) can also be consulted ⁴.
5. Cut usage during peak hours: demand above projection was part of the problem ².
6. Watch for any NEPR notice of a public hearing or a ruling on the adjustment in the coming weeks.

What's next

No deadline has been announced for the NEPR to decide ¹. If it orders the accelerated adjustment, the charge would land on November and December bills; if it defers, the shortfall moves to the quarter starting in January ¹². Meanwhile, the Executive and the Fiscal Oversight Board are discussing ways to ease rising power costs ¹. LUMA also warned on October 27 of a high risk of load shedding that could affect about 100,000 customers because of limits at the San Juan and Aguirre plants ⁵, a reminder that the generation problem is still alive.

Sources

¹ El Vocero, "Negociado de Energía evalúa otro ajuste en la tarifa de luz," updated October 30, 2026. ² Metro Puerto Rico, "Sobre la mesa otro aumento en la factura de la luz por el alto costo del combustible en septiembre," October 19, 2026. ³ El Nuevo Día, "Jefa de LUMA deja en manos del Negociado de Energía potencial ajuste acelerado a la tarifa," October 21, 2026. ⁴ El Vocero, "Aumentará la luz? LUMA reporta $48 millones en costos adicionales al Negociado de Energía," October 20, 2026. ⁵ Metro Puerto Rico, "Se complica la noche: LUMA advierte sobre posibles apagones," October 27, 2026.