BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
The Northern Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative announced yesterday an increase of P1.79 per kilowatt hour in their electricity rates for this month compared to last month, while the Central Negros Electric Cooperative announced a reduction of P1.52 per kWh.
Anthony Lagrada, acting corporate and planning manager of Noneco, told the DAILY STAR that their residential rate for the month of June is now at P13.14 per kilowatt hour, from P11.35/kWh in May.
Lagrada said the increase was the result of the hike in the cost of power purchased by Noneco from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market that affected the firm’s generation and transmission charges.
He said member-consumers from Victorias to San Carlos cities should also expect a slight increase in the distribution, metering, universal, transmission, system loss, and other charges this month.
The League of Electric Cooperatives Information and Communications Office Nationwide (Lexicon) Region 6 and the Electric Cooperatives Association in Western Visayas recently issued an advisory on the increase in electricity rates due to the hike of power imposed by WESM.
The Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative, servicing the areas from Valladolid to Hinoba-an towns, was the first to announce an increase of at least P2 per kilowatt hour in its residential rates this June.
Ceneco acting manager Danny Pondevilla, meanwhile, said their residential rate is now at P9.54 per kilowatt hour from P11.06 last month.
The decrease was brought by the reduction in generation, transmission, system loss, and other charges being passed through the consumers, including lifeline and senior citizens discount, among others.
Upon assumption of his post earlier this year, Pondevilla vowed to reduce the residential rates of Ceneco by P1 by June.*