By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

During a press conference yesterday at the O Hotel in Bacolod City, Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ceneco) General Manager Sulpicio Lagarde, Jr. justified consumers footing the bill for the P232 million in “unnominated quantities,” saying the co-op would face sanctions otherwise.
He claimed, with the order coming from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), allowing for the Korean Electric Power Corporation-Salcon Power Corporation (Kepco-SPC) and Ceneco to collect from consumers, they must comply or face sanctions.
Meanwhile, Ceneco President Roy Cordova said they have no other option.
According to Lagarde, the ERC decision will cost consumers 8¢ per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
The utility cooperative earlier announced electricity rates would go up this month, as a result of both the ERC decision and generation charge fluctuations.
Last month, Ceneco revealed the residential rate for September 2017 would be P10.0130/kWh, it was the first time rates were above P10/kWh since May 2017, when it was P10.5062/kwh./WDJ