MOST households in Negros Occidental may incur higher electric bills as two power distribution utilities have increased their rates this July.
The Central Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), catering to consumers in the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay and Silay, and towns of Murcia and Salvador Benedicto, reported on July 24 that its residential rate for July is P9.9235 per kilowatt hour (kWh).
The figure is P0.0140 per kWh higher than the previous month's rate of P9.9095 per kWh.
Ceneco general manager Sulpicio Lagarde Jr. said the slight upward adjustment in the utility's effective rate can be attributed to the increase in various charges.
He said generation charge went up by P0.0104 per kWh, while transmission and systems loss charges increased by P0.0026 per kWh and P0.0010 per kWh, respectively.
"The generation, transmission, and systems loss are pass-through charges being billed to Ceneco by its power suppliers and transmission service provider," Lagarde reiterated, adding that the distribution charge remain constant.
The Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco), serving electric consumers in the southern portion of the province from Pulupandan to Hinoba-an, also noted a slight increase in its power rate of P0.0276 per kWh.
From P8.9416 per kWh in June, the cooperative's rate increased to P8.9692 per kWh in July.
Noceco general manager Jonas Discaya said the main driver of the higher electricity rate is the P0.0154 per kWh in transmission charge.
This can be attributed to the increase in the power delivery service charge and ancillary service charge from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines bill charged to all electric distribution utilities including Noceco, he said.
Aside from transmission charge, the generation and systems loss charges also registered minimal increases of P0.0003 per kWh and P0.0141 per kWh, respectively.
Discaya, however, said subsidy rates such as lifeline and senior citizen registered a reduction of P0.0022 per kWh which cushioned the impact of the overall rate increase.
Noceco's distribution, supply, and metering charges remain unchanged despite the increase in the overall electricity rate for this month, he added.
On the other hand, the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) reported a reduction in its power rate this month.
Paulino Almedelia, Corporate Planning Department manager of Noneco, said their effective rate is P10.1675 per kWh. It is P0.3956 lower than June's P10.5631 per kWh.
Almedelia said the decrease is brought by reductions in generation and transmission charges, at P0.2941 and P0.0114 per kWh, respectively.
Noneco also noted a total reduction of P0.0901 for other charges, he added.
