By Erwin Nicavera/PNA
BACOLOD CITY — The three electric cooperatives in Negros Occidental increased their power rates for the month of February, data from their respective offices as of Wednesday showed.
The Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) confirmed an increase of PHP0.14 per kilowatt hour (kWh) — from last month’s rate of PHP11.3527 to PHP11.4991 for the current month.
In an advisory, Ceneco said the increase is attributed to adjustments in pass-through charges, including the generation, transmission, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)-approved adjustments, government subsidies and taxes.
Pass-through charges comprised 89.68 percent of the entire rate while the remaining 10.32 percent accounts for the cooperative’s distribution, supply, metering and reinvestment fund for sustainable capital expenditures.
Ceneco serves the largest number of consumers in Negros Occidental, including those in the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay and Silay, and towns of Murcia and Salvador Benedicto.
In the south, the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco) announced an increase of PHP0.16 per kWh, with a current rate of PHP10.5912 from January’s PHP10.4275.
Noceco general manager Jonas Discaya said the main driver of higher electricity rate this month is the PHP0.5118 increase in the generation charge, which moved from PHP5.1655 to PHP5.6773 per kWh.
This resulted from the higher energy charge of Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) which provides Noceco a portion of its power supply, he added.
Noceco, however, registered a decrease of PHP0.0218 and PHP0.0175 in the transmission and systems loss charges, respectively.
The subsidy rates and value-added tax rates also registered a total reduction of PHP0.1150 per kWh.
Another factor that cushioned the impact of the overall rate increase is the removal of the PHP0.1938 per kWh universal charge-stranded contract cost (UC-SCC).
The Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. has advised to stop the charging of UC-SCC, the cooperative said.
The Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) also projected an increase in its power rate for February.
Paulino Almedelia, corporate planning head of Noneco, said the cooperative might effect an increase of about PHP0.39 per kWh due to the increase in WESM price.
