By Paulo Loreto Lim

Last week, following a “transparency meeting,” Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ceneco) General Manager Sulpicio Lagarde revealed Ceneco planned to increase power rates by 1.4 centavos per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for residential consumers in July. According to a Ceneco press release that went out yesterday, rates for July 2017 will be P9.9235/kwh, up from P9.9095/kwh in the prior month.
In the prior report, he credited the increase to a power deficiency, which he said originated from maintenance performed by the Korean Electric Power Corporation-Salcon Power Corporation (Kepco-SPC) and Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC), the companies that provide Ceneco with its base load capacity.
The release points out an increase in generation charges.
Rates had previously been on the decline since March 2017, when costs peaked at P11.1669/kWh./WDJ