• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez announced yesterday that the residential rates of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) have significantly decreased an average of P2.40/kWh for the billing month of June.
In a statement, Benitez said they were informed by CENECO that it will make adjustments on its residential power rates from P15.1632/kWh down to P12.7632/kWh, due to a drop in market prices.
Bacolod City government spokesperson, Atty. Caesar Distrito, claimed this is due to Benitez’s intervention and constant prodding with the ERC, and his vigilance in making sure that electricity prices should go down.
Benitez emphasized that power rate reduction is crucial “as we move forward to provide relief, especially to consumers who can hardly make ends meet in these challenging times.”
The mayor added that he is looking forward for further power rate adjustments in July and the succeeding months, after the Energy Regulatory Commission positively responded to his urgent request in granting the Joint Petition filed by CENECO and Energy Development Corporation last March 15, 2024, for the approval of the Power Supply Agreement and for the temporary suspension of price increases in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), due to the recent red alert status declared by National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.
Benitez reminded the public to not just rely on the expectation of reduced power rates, but also to continue observing energy-saving practices at home so that we can maximize the drop in power rates.
He further assured CENECO consumers, that in collaboration with the forthcoming operation of Negros Power, he will continue to advocate for reliable, affordable, and clean power through renewable energy to ease the burden of our electric consumers in Bacolod City.*
