MOST electric consumers in Negros Occidental may incur higher bills this month as two power distribution utilities have increased their respective rates.
The Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) has the highest increase of P0.84 per kilowatt hour (kWh).
After paying P10.0318 per kWh last month, electric consumers in cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay and Silay, and towns of Murcia and Salvador Benedicto will have to pay P10.8746 per kWh for January.
The upward can be attributed to increase in charges in generation, transmission and systems loss totaling to P0.7186 per kWh.
Engineer Leomel Tambanillo, manager of Ceneco Corporate Planning Department, had earlier told SunStar Bacolod that the power rate increase brought by the tax reform law will still be felt by its consumers during the first quarter of the year, most probably starting February billing.
This means the computation for the billing this month is still based on December costs, he added.
Another utility that announced an increase in their power rate this month is the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco).
In its advisory, Noceco said its overall electricity rate for residential consumers is P9.1974 per kWh, with an increase of P0.53 per kWh from the previous month’s P8.6652 per kWh.
Jonas Discaya, general manager of Noceco, said the main driver of the higher electricity rate is the P0.4648 per kWh increase in the generation charge, which moved from P4.2692 per kWh to P4.7340 per kWh.
Discaya said the increase in generation rate is a result of the resumption of operation of Palm Concepcion Power Corp. (PCPC) where a portion of its supply is sourced.
“Aside from generation, the systems loss and transmission charges also registered increases of P0.0616 per kWh and P0.0160 per kWh, respectively,” he added.
The Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) noted a reduction of P0.4376 per kWh in its power rate this month.
In December last year, Noneco’s power rate was P11.44 per kWh.
Paulino Almedelia, manager Noneco’s Corporate Planning Department, said the decrease in their rate is mainly attributed to lower generation charge brought by cheaper price in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
Like the other utilities, Noneco’s latest rate computation is not yet affected by the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) law.
“Let us wait for the final resolution from the Bureau of Internal Revenue on the treatment of value-added tax and excise tax to be applied on fuel inventories,” he added.