- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Central Negros Electric Cooperative and Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative said Friday, Sept. 15, that their average residential rates this billing month decreased by P0.22 per kilowatt-hour and P0.05/kWh, respectively.
This means that Ceneco member-consumers will pay P11.07/kWh from last month’s rate of P11.30/kWh, while Noceco’s rate is at P11.56/kWh from the P11.61/kWh in August.
Ceneco acting general manager, Atty. Arnel Lapore, said in a press release that the rate reduction was due to a slash in the generation charges by 3.60 percent as compared to the previous month following downward adjustment of P0.15/kWh in the price of power in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.
Lapore said there was also a decrease in the Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC) fuel cost, from P4.95/kWh to P4.38/kWh.
“The pass-through charges, equivalent to P9.89/kWh of the total power rate, include the generation and transmission charges, ERC-approved adjustments, and government subsidies and taxes,” Ceneco said, adding that only P1.18/kWh of the power rate, through the Distribution, Supply, Metering (DSM) charges, goes back to the electric coop to finance administrative and operational services, and the Reinvestment Fund for Sustainable Capex.
Noneco also said the decreased rate was due to lower generation charges. “This is the third consecutive month that overall electricity rates decreased.”
The Energy Regulatory Commission, meanwhile reiterated that distribution utilities (DUs), like Ceneco and Noceco, “must no longer charge to their respective consumers the three percent franchise tax” of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines
The ERC said it already suspended the inclusion of the national franchise tax of the NGCP in the total monthly transmission cost billing of DUs.
“NGCP must cease charging the three percent franchise tax, after Aug. 15, following a Supreme Court ruling, which disallowed public utilities from passing-on certain taxes as operating expenses to the consuming public. /CGC
