LIKE Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), the two other power distribution utilities in the province have also announced a decrease in their respective residential power rates for this month.
The Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco), which caters to electric consumers in the south, from Pulupandan to Hinoba-an, reported a drop of P0.4683 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for its March billing.
From P9.3925 per kWh in February, the effective rate for this month moved down to P8.9242 per kWh.
The cooperative, in an advisory, said the main driver of the lower electricity rate this month is the P0.3781 per kWh decrease in the generation charge, which moved from P4.7188 to P4.3407 per kWh.
It said the decrease in generation charge is due to the reduction of P1.0785 per kWh. The current average price in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) is P2.5711 per kWh, compared to its previous month cost of P3.6496 per kWh.
Other factors that contributed to the overall reduction in rates included decreases in the systems loss rate of P0.0541 per kWh; transmission rate for residential customers - P0.0328 per kWh; and value-added tax (VAT) on transmission - P0.0049 per kWh, it added.
Noceco explained that the overall rate decreased despite the increases in the price of Kepco Salcon Power Corp. (KSPC) from which the distribution sources out a portion of its power requirement, at P0.073 per kWh.
For its power supply agreement with Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC), there’s also an increase of P0.2732 per kWh.
These are on top of other increases like subsidy rates totaling P0.0001 per kWh and VAT on generation at P0.0015 per kWh.
Noceco said its distribution, supply and metering (DSM) charges remain unchanged despite the reduction in the overall electricity rate for this month.
It urged member-consumers to conserve energy and to be aware of their energy consumption to avoid paying high electricity bills despite the decrease in the overall electricity rate.
For the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco), the utility announced a decrease of about P0.04 per kWh in March from its previous month’s rate of P10.3314 per kWh.
The cooperative attributed it to the lower price of WESM from which Noneco also purchased a portion of its requirement.
Noneco caters to electric consumers in the north, from E.B Magalona to San Carlos City.
It can be recalled that Ceneco earlier announced a drop of P0.0658 per kWh in its residential power rate this month.
From P11.5696 per kWh in February, it went down to P11.5038 per kWh in March.
The power distribution utility caters to the largest number of electric consumers in the province, including cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay and Silay, and towns of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto.
Ceneco acting general manager and project supervisor Danny Pondevilla, in an advisory, said the power rate reduction can be attributed to the decrease in the fuel cost of PCPC and price of WESM.
Pondevilla said the pass-through charges for this month equivalent to P10.3172 per kWh of the total power rate included the generation and transmission costs.
The amount also comprised those of the Energy Regulatory Commission approved adjustments, government subsidies and taxes.
“Only P1.1866 per kWh of the power rate goes to Ceneco through the DSM charges and reinvestment fund for sustainable capital expenditures for its administration and operational services,” he said.