- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco) said Nov. 11 that its power rates this month increase by P1.5944 per kilowatt-hour, or P18.0621/kWh from the P16.4677/kWh in October.
Noceco general manager, Engr. Ray Bustamante, in his letter-advisory to local government units serviced by the power coop, said the hike “is still mainly driven by the total generation charge, which increased by P1.12614 per kWh as compared to last month.”
He added that the increase in fuel prices also affected the costs passed-on by the power suppliers of Noceco, like the Palm Concepcion Power Corporation charge, which increased from P14.9699/kWh in October to P16.4443/kWh this month.
The Kepco-Salcon Power Corporation rate was also up by P0.5429/kWh, mainly due to increases in fuel cost and foreign exchange rates; and the price of power from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), from P9.3499/kWh to P10.6480/kWh, since the generation mix is mostly dominated by coal-fired power plants, Bustamante explained.
“We appeal to our MCOs (member-consumer-owner) understanding as we continue to find better solutions to mitigate the impact in electricity prices being experienced by the power industry,” he added.
Noceco’s October rate also increased by P1.5186/kWh, or from P14.9491/kWh in September.
Bustamante said that Noceco’s Distribution, Supply, and Metering (DSM) charges remain unchanged since February 2010, regardless of the monthly increase or decrease in the overall electricity rate.
He also urged MCOs to conserve energy and to be aware of their power consumption to avoid paying high electricity bill./CGC
