• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Member-consumers of the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative will be paying P14.6309 per kilowatt-hour of electricity consumption this April, or an increase of P3.4742/kWh, from last month’s residential rate of P11.1567/kWh.
Noceco said the rate increase was mainly due to higher generation charge, specifically the P4.5019/kWh hike in the energy cost from Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), from its previous cost of P5.8601/kWh.
It said that “bigger exposure to the spot market” resulted after the Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC) went on preventive maintenance schedule since Feb. 18 this year. PCPC supplies part of the distribution utility’s baseload.
“Fortunately, Noceco was able to secure an Emergency Power Supply Agreement (EPSA) with GNPower Kauswagan to cover the deficit,” the advisory said.
An EPSA charge of P7.1333/kWh is reflected in the power bill of each Noceco member-consumer from Pulupandan, Valladolid, La Carlota City, San Enrique, Pontevedra, Hinigaran, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Binalbagan, Isabela, Himamaylan City, Kabankalan City, Ilog, Cauayan, Candoni, Sipalay City, and Hinoba-an.
“We are also expecting the KSPC (Kepco SPC Power Corp.) to start delivering power soon, pending approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission,” Noceco added as it advised consumers “to be aware of their energy consumption to avoid paying high electricity bill”.
“Given the high heat index registered recently, we expect a significant increase in electricity consumption for cooling purposes,” it stressed, noting that this surge in demand will likely translate to higher energy prices in the spot market. | CGC
