- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Central Negros Electric Cooperative Inc. said Monday its average residential rate for this month is up by P0.2211 per kilowatt-hour or P15.6983/kWh from the August rate of P15.4772/kWh.
The increase was due to the error in the metering data of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for the billing period of Jan. 26 to Feb. 25 this year, Ervin Stan Leo Ticar, acting general manager of Ceneco, said in a press statement. “Corresponding adjustment was made which resulted in an increase in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) power cost.”
Ticar added that the pass-through charges of P14.5117/kWh of the total power rate include the generation and transmission charges, ERC-approved adjustments, government subsidies, and taxes.
He said that P1.1866/kWh of the power rate goes to Ceneco through the Distribution, Supply, Metering (DSM) charges, and the Reinvestment Fund for Sustainable Capex (RFSC) for its administrative and operational services. “Since 2010, Ceneco’s DSM and RFSC rate has not increased”.
Last week, the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative said its rate for September decreased by P1.5593 per kilowatt-hour, and consumers will pay P14.9491/kWh from last month’s rate of P16.5084kWh.
“The reduction in the overall rates is due to the price decrease of P1.9365 per kWh from the WESM at P7.9053kWh, compared to its previous month’s cost of P9.8418/kWh,” Noceco general manager Ray Bustamante said in an advisory.
The Northern Negros Electric Cooperative has yet to announce its residential rate for this month, as of press time. For the billing month of August, it collected P15.9956 per KWh from its consumers./CGC
