3 Negros cooperatives hike power rates in July

BACOLOD CITY: The three electric cooperatives in Negros Occidental are charging higher rates for residential consumers this July.

The increase is the second in two months after the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco) and Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) also implemented upward rate adjustments in June because of the implementation of additional feed-in tariff allowance ( FIT-All).

Ceneco announced on Wednesday afternoon an increase of P0.2290 per kilowatt hour–from P11.7019 per kWh last month to P11.9309 per kWh for July.

General Manager Sulpicio Lagarde Jr. said in an advisory that the additional rate can be attributed to the increase in generation charge resulting from higher purchase cost.

Adjustments ordered by the Energy Regulatory Commission were also implemented, he added.

Included are the Energreen Power Development and Management Inc. adjustment amounting to P0.0560 per kWh; Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management generation rate adjustment mechanism and incremental currency exchange rate adjustments, P0.2940 per kWh; and Kepco- Salcon Power Corporation fixed rate, P0.0817 per kWh.

“We encourage consumers to monitor their kilowatt hour consumption for consistency, and not the peso value since it is influenced by the fluctuation of generation mix each month,” Lagarde said.

Noceco, which covers localities in southern Negros, has announced an increase of P0.0533 per kWh this month –from P11.1952 per kWh in June to P11.2485 per kWh in July.

According to the management, the upward adjustment stemmed from higher cost of energy from the Wholesale Energy Spot Market, which supplies part of Noceco’s power needs.

Noneco has confirmed a July rate of P11.8780 per kWh, with an increase of P0.0903 per kWh from June’s P11.7877 per kWh.

The increase was brought about by higher charges in generation, P0.0751 per kWh; transmission, P0.0112 per kWh; and other charges, at P.004 per kWh.

In June, the rate increase of Ceneco was pegged at P0.52 per kWh; Noceco, P0.16 per kWh; and Noneco, P0.13 per kWh.