Supermarkets Now Pay Up to $60,000 a Month for Power, and MIDA Warns Your Grocery Bill Will Rise

The electric bill for a mid-size supermarket in Puerto Rico has jumped from $20,000-$30,000 a month to $55,000-$60,000, and the food sector is warning that the hit will reach your shopping cart ¹. Félix Aponte, president of the food retail and distribution chamber MIDA, said the adjustment on the shelf is "inevitable" over the long term ¹.

What happened

Aponte calculated the impact for a 25,000 to 30,000 square-foot supermarket, and warned that merchants are struggling to absorb the higher operating costs ¹. In a radio interview on Monday, November 2, he added that higher energy, manufacturing and distribution costs "end up on the shelf, especially everything that is refrigerated" ². Refrigerated goods are 40% of what supermarkets sell, according to MIDA ².

The trigger is the electricity rate. The Energy Bureau approved a 5.28 cents per kilowatt-hour increase on September 30, in effect through December 31, 2026 ¹. Small and mid-size businesses face a 17.1% rise, and large industrial customers up to 19.7% ¹.

Key numbers

• Power bill for a 25,000-30,000 sq. ft. supermarket: from $20,000-$30,000 a month to $55,000-$60,000 ¹.
• Food prices: up 1.3% between September 2025 and September 2026, according to MIDA ¹.
• Refrigerated goods: 40% of a supermarket's sales ².
• Turkey: already above $2.50 a pound, according to Aponte, who said turkey and pernil will not sell for under a dollar a pound and expects increases in some categories for Christmas ².
• Cooking gas: Empire Gas anticipated an $8 to $10 increase on the 100-pound cylinder, now around $105 to $106, starting in early November once customers and the Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO) are notified ⁴.

Aponte ruled out supermarket closures for now, though he said they operate "in a very difficult and tight way" ¹. He also warned that the commercial sector "could collapse" under energy costs ².

What MIDA and the Chamber propose

MIDA asked the government for a short-term way out: an emergency fund or a temporary suspension of the "crudita," the excise tax on crude oil and its derivatives, plus eliminating the sales tax (IVU) on food ¹². In the House, Treasury Committee chair Eddie Charbonier proposed using leftovers from the 2026 Tax Relief program to lower fuel costs or exempt certain items from the IVU, such as prepared foods. He conditioned it on talks with the Financial Oversight Board ¹.

On November 5, Chamber of Commerce president José Julio "Che" Aparicio Laspina warned that another electricity increase is possible, and said he met with Board member John Nixon to discuss using government emergency fund resources for at least temporary relief ³. "The emergency doesn't necessarily have to be climate-related," he said, calling the situation a "national economic emergency" ³. The article does not specify the size or timing of that possible increase ³.

What it means for you

Aponte expects consumers to shop more carefully, pick cheaper brands and buy fewer items ². With cumulative food inflation of 1.3% through September, the effect is still moderate, but the sector warns more is coming, especially in dairy, meat and other products that need refrigeration ¹². If you cook with gas, the cylinder could also cost you $8 to $10 more ⁴. And since turkey and pernil anchor the Christmas table, buying early may help you lock in a price before it climbs further, although no merchant has announced an adjustment date.

How to / Checklist

1. Build your Christmas shopping list now: turkey, pernil and refrigerated items face the most price pressure ².
2. Compare the per-pound price at two or more supermarkets before buying holiday meat; turkey is already above $2.50 a pound ².
3. If you use cooking gas, ask your supplier whether you have been notified of the increase and when it applies; you can ask DACO if you received no notice ⁴.
4. Try lower-priced brands on everyday items, the strategy MIDA expects consumers to adopt ².
5. Check your power bill: the 5.28 cents per kWh charge applies through December 31, 2026 ¹. Cutting use at peak hours and unplugging idle equipment helps cushion the impact.
6. Report prices that look abusive to DACO (daco.pr.gov).

What's next

The debate is moving on two fronts. First, the Financial Oversight Board would have to sign off on any relief, whether through the emergency fund, a suspension of the "crudita" or IVU exemptions ¹³. Second, the Chamber of Commerce keeps its warning of another possible power increase, with no figure or date for now ³. The current rate expires December 31, 2026, so price behavior during the holiday season will be the first test of how much of the energy cost ended up on the shelf ¹.

Sources

1. Metro Puerto Rico, "Sube el precio de la compra tras duplicarse la factura de luz de los supermercados," November 4, 2026.
2. El Nuevo Día, "Suben los precios del pavo y el cerdo para esta Navidad," November 2, 2026.
3. Metro Puerto Rico, "Cámara de Comercio advierte sobre posible nuevo aumento en la luz y pide medidas para aliviar el bolsillo," November 5, 2026.
4. Metro Puerto Rico, "Apriete el bolsillo: gas licuado subirá hasta $10 desde noviembre," October 27, 2026.