2 coops increase power rate; Ceneco down

OF THE three electric cooperatives in Negros Occidental, only Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) has reduced its power rate this month.

The power distribution utility which caters to the largest number of consumers in the province including those in cities of Bacolod, Talisay, Silay and Bago, and towns of Murcia and Salvador Benedicto, reported a drop of almost P0.30 per kilowatt hour.

From last month’s rate of P9.7008 per kWh, it went down to P9.4019 per kWh in November.

Ceneco, in an advisory, said the decrease in the power rate can be attributed to the reduction in generation, transmission and systems loss charges as well as subsidies and value-added tax (VAT).

The cooperative said the pass-through charges equivalent to P8.2153 per kWh of the total power rate include the generation and transmission charges, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)-approved adjustments, government subsidies and taxes.

“Only P1.1866 per kWh of the power rate goes to Ceneco through Distribution, Supply, Metering (DSM) charges and Reinvestment Fund for Sustainable Capex (RFSC) for its administrative and operational services,” it added.

For Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco), which caters to consumers from E.B. Magalona to San Carlos City, it noted an increase of P0.5883 per kWh.

Its effective rate for this month is P10.5271 per kWh, which is higher than P9.9388 per kWh in October.

Noneco Corporate Planning head Paulino Almedelia said the higher November billing is due to the increases in generation cost at P0.5321 per kWh and other taxes totaling to P0.1428 per kWh.

Though, the transmission charge registered a decrease of P0.0866 per kWh, Almedelia said.

“The significant increase was due to the increase in the price of power at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM),” he added.

Noting the biggest power rate increase in the province this month is the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco), catering to consumers in the south, from Pulupandan to Hinoba-an.

From P8.2189 per kWh in October, the new residential power rate is P10.1698 per kWh or an increase of P1.9509 per kWh.

Jonas Discaya, general manager of Noceco, said the main driver of the higher electricity rate this month is the P1.5438 per kWh increase in the generation charge which moved from P3.6983 to P5.2421 per kWh.

Discaya said there’s also an increase of P2.1690 per kWh in WESM price, on top of other increase like system loss charge - P0.2203 per kWh; subsidy rates - P0.0146 per kWh; and VAT in generation rate - P0.1828 per kWh.

Though, the overall rate increase is cushioned by the reduction in transmission rate of residential customers - P0.0048 per kWh; VAT in transmission rate of residential customers - P0.0058 per kWh; and price drop of P0.1110 per kWh in the Power Supply Agreement (PSA) from Palm Concepcion Power Corporation.

There was also a reduction of P0.3215 per kWh in the PSA with Kepco Salcon Power Corporation, he said, adding that Noceco’s distribution, supply and metering charges, on the other hand, remain unchanged despite the increase in the overall electricity rate for this month.

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