THE Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) has assured consumer groups of transparency and immediate action on their concerns through interventions from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
Newly-elected board president Roy Cordova said the cooperative will assist consumer groups in bringing their concerns to the ERC for corresponding resolutions.
Cordova said member-consumers have different interpretations on the computation of power rate every month, particularly on various component-charges like generation, transmission, unbundled rates, and systems loss, among others thus, a third party must intervene.
“To maintain transparency in the cooperative, we will make sure to get necessary interventions from the ERC instead of acting on these concerns only at our level,” he added.
Cordova also said Ceneco will provide corresponding refund to consumers if there is really “discrepancy” in power rate computation which may result to excess in electric bill provided there is a ruling from the ERC.
He said Ceneco cannot just compute and impose rates without basing it on the formula duly approved by the ERC.
The transparency meeting was attended by representatives of various consumer advocate groups like Power Watch Negros, Utilities Consumers Alliance of Negros, Save the People’s Movement, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among others.
Cordova said the meeting, which will now be conducted every month, is aimed at providing power stakeholders transparent information on how Ceneco computes its monthly rate.
Matters concerning the management of the cooperative, and even its financial statement, shall be opened for discussion during the meeting, he added.
Power Watch Negros secretary-general Wennie Sancho said the transparency meeting is a welcome development, adding that it should be governed by guidelines to achieve absolute transparency.
“We will continue to ask for clarification and resolution on our long overdue concerns like the anomalous power supply agreement contracts with Kepco-Salcon worth P232 million and Filinvest’s P147 million, and the alleged overcontracting with Palm Concepcion Power Corp.,” Sancho added.
Ceneco is now in the process of reviewing its reward system to stop power pilferages contributing to higher systems loss.
Cordova said they are eyeing to increase the P5,000 reward for those who can provide them tips on “jumpers” or illegal connections prohibited under Republic Act 7832 or the Anti-Pilferage Law.
“We will instruct our management to strictly enforce the law and to really penalize those found pilfering our electricity,” he added.