UNLIKE Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) and Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco), the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) has announced a slight increase in its power rate this month.
Noneco which caters to cities and towns in the northern portion of the province, from E.B. Magalona to San Carlos City, reported an increase of P0.0858 per kilowatt hour (kwh) for April billing.
Its prevailing rate is P10.7937 per kWh, which is higher than P10.7079 per kWh in March.
Noneco corporate planning manager Paulino Almedelia said the slightly higher rate is attributed to the increase of P0.1042 in generation cost particularly the power sourced from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (Wesm).
There’s also an increase of P0.0208 in transmission and system loss charges, Almedelia said, adding that though other charges decreased due to the temporary suspension of Feed-In-Tariff Allowance collection.
On Monday, the two other cooperatives in the province reported a decrease in their respective power rates.
Ceneco, which caters to the largest number of electric consumers in the province including cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay and Silay, and towns of Murcia and Salvador Benedicto, announced a reduction of P0.0644 per kilowatt hour (kWh).
From P10.5272 per kWh in March, it went down to P10.6608 per kWh this month.
The lower rate is attributed to the reduction of generation, transmission and systems loss charges.
Noceco, catering to electric consumers in the south, from Pulupandan to Hinoba-an, also reported a decrease of P0.5087 per kWh for its April billing.
From P9.5652 per kwh in March, it dropped to P9.0565 per kwh.
The main driver of the lower electricity rate is the P0.4480 per kWh reduction in the generation charge.
Other factors that contributed to the overall reduction in rates include system loss rate, value-added tax (VAT) in generation rate for residential customers and suspension in the collection Feed-In-Tariff Allowance rate in compliance to the order issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission.