BY ADRIAN P. NEMES
Electric consumers in southern Negros Occidental should expect a P1 increase in their residential rates for January.
Noceco general manager Jonas Discaya said the increase in the electricity rate was triggered by the hike in the generation charge to P4 from P3 per kilowatthour.
Discaya said the increase in generation charge is due to the hike in the cost of power from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market that is now at P2.6 from P2.1 last month.
He also said the increase in the residential rate is caused by the resumption of normal operations of Palm Concepcion Power Corporation, whose share of the power contracted by Noceco was replaced by WESM last month.
Discaya also said that other drivers in the increase in residential rates are the surge in the cost of systems loss, subsidy rates, value-added tax on generation charge, and the implementation of the new Feed-In-Tariff Allowance.
INCREASE CUSHIONED
Meanwhile, the increase in the overall residential electricity rates of Noceco is cushioned by the decrease in the transmission rate and the price reduction in the Power Supply Agreement from Kepco SPC Power Corporation.
Noceco’s distribution, supply, and metering charges remain unchanged despite the increase in the overall electricity rate for this month, Discaya said.
Member-consumer-owners (MCOs) are advised to conserve energy and to be aware of their energy consumption to avoid paying high electricity bill, he said.
Discaya said the generation and transmission rates are pass-on charges paid to the power suppliers and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, hence, the collected amounts on these charges are not retained by Noceco.
CENECO, TOO
The Central Negros Electric Cooperative also announced an increase in the average residential rates by 62 centavos.
Ceneco general manager Danny Pondevilla said the hike is attributed to the increase in generation, transmission, systems loss charges and other pass through charges, such as the lifeline, senior, and VAT.
Pondevilla said part of the increase is the new FIT allowance rate that also increased as ordered by the Energy Regulatory Commission.
He added that the pass-through charges, equivalent to P9.28 per kilowatt hour of the total power rate, include the generation and transmission charges, ERC-approved adjustments, government subsidies and taxes.
Only P1 per kilowatt hour of the power rate goes to electricity distributor of Ceneco through distribution, supply, metering charges and reinvestment fund for sustainable capital expenditure program for the cooperative’s operational services. The Northern Negros Electric Cooperative is yet to announce its residential rates for January.*
