• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Northern Negros Electric Cooperative said April 21 that its average residential rate this billing month increased by P1.4723 each kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed.
This means that Noneco member-consumers from Victorias, E.B. Magalona, Manapla, Cadiz, Sagay, Escalante, San Carlos, Toboso, and Calatrava will be paying P15.0705/kWh this month, from the P13.5982/kWh rate in March.
The increase was mainly due to the pricier cost of power purchased from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), as well as fluctuations in the foreign exchange rate, Noneco said in an advisory.
The distribution utility’s announcement of a power rate increase followed that of Negros Power and the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative.
Negros Power, which serves consumers from Bacolod, Talisay, Silay, Bago, Murcia, and Don Salvador Benedicto, earlier announced a P0.87/kWh rate hike, or from P11.4766 in March to P12.3563/kWh this billing month of April.
Noceco, meanwhile, increased its average residential rate by P1.6509/kWh. This means that member-consumer-owners from Pulupandan, San Enrique, Valladolid, Pontevedra, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Isabela, Hinigaran, Binalbagan, Himamaylan, Kabankalan, Ilog, Candoni, Cauayan, Sipalay, Hinoba-an, and La Carlota City will pay P15.6104/kWh this month, from P13.9595/kWh in March.
The increase was also attributed to higher WESM prices, which Negros Power said doubled this month, or from P3.5383/kWh to P6.6865/kWh. | CGC
