ELECTRIC consumers of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) may incur lower bills this month as the power distribution utility announced a rate reduction of almost P0.25 per kilowatt hour (kWh).
From P11.2868 per kWh last month, its power rate went down to P11.0399 per kWh this March.
Ceneco caters to the largest number of electric consumers in the province covering cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay and Silay, and towns of Murcia and Salvador Benedicto.
Engineer Leomel Tambanillo, manager of corporate planning division of Ceneco, told SunStar Bacolod that the downward movement is mainly attributed to the reduction of generation charge due to lower cost of power from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
Tambanillo said the decrease is despite the additional charge of P0.05 to P0.08 per kWh as the impact of the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) law.
“The behavior of electricity rates varies from time to time, depending on the level of consumption thus, we can still expect a reduction on overall rate amid the tax reform law implementation,” he reiterated.
The other two electric cooperatives, meanwhile, have increased their respective power rates this month.
Charging the highest increase is Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco), which covers consumers in the south, from Pulupandan to Hinoba-an.
From the previous monthly rate of P9.8482 per kWh, it moved to P10.7381 per kWh in March, or an increase of almost P0.89 per kWh.
Jon Discaya, general manager of Noceco, said the main driver of the higher electricity rate this month is the P0.7592 per kWh increase in the generation charge.
The higher generation cost is due to the increase in the price of electricity purchased by Noceco at WESM, Discaya added.
The cooperative reported that another factor in the upward adjustment of generation rate is the resumption of Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM)’s implementation of the 10th – 17th Generation Rate Adjustment Mechanism (Gram), 15th – 16th Incremental Currency Exchange Rate Adjustment (Icera) and 1st – 5th Automatic Cost Recovery Mechanism (ACRM) True-up Adjustments pursuant to the Energy Regulatory Commission Order dated October 19, 2017.
In addition to this, the systems loss charge, transmission charge, and lifeline subsidy rate registered an increase of P0.0949 per kWh, P0.0124 per kWh, and P0.0003 per kWh, respectively, it added.
The remaining consumers in the north, from E.B. Magalona to San Carlos City, may also incur higher bills this month as the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) increased its power rate by P0.21 per kWh.
From P11.60 per kWh last month, Noneco’s rate went up to P11.81 per kWh.
The upward movement is attributed to higher generation cost, the cooperative said.