The Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) passed a resolution earlier this week requesting an explanation from Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ceneco) General Manager Sulpicio Lagarde, Jr. and President Roy Cordova regarding rate hikes applied to the April 2018 bill.

The legislation, penned by Bacolod City Councilor Wilson Gamboa, Jr., indicated an 80¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh) increase between March 2018 and April 2018, listing the additional costs as generation charge, transmission charge, system loss, Kepco-Salcon Corporation Power Adjustment, and Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) adjustment.

The resolution called the increase “hefty,” saying, “Energy consumers of Bacolod City are being overburdened financially.”

Earlier, the SP passed a similar resolution seeking an explanation behind the rate hikes planned by the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa).

Towards the end of last month, it was reported Ceneco would be applying the Korean Electric Power Corporation-Salcon Power Corporation (Kepco-SPC) adjustment to consumer bills, in compliance with an earlier Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) decision that allowed Ceneco to collect P232 million in “unnominated quantities” from consumers, with Lagarde claiming the co-op would face sanctions if costs were not passed on to customers.

Starting with the April 2018 bills, one set of consumers will see residential rates of P11.90/kWh, following charges from the 8¢/kWh Kepco-SPC adjustment and costs from PSALM, which adds an additional 30¢/kWh to bills over the next 60 months.

An additional Energreen/Central Negros Power Reliability, Inc. (CENPRI) adjustment also contributes a fee of 9¢/kWh.

Meanwhile, other customers will not be subject to the PSALM adjustment and will be charged P11.58/kWh.

Last year, the SP called for additional ERC hearings regarding the then-proposed P232 million collection./WDJ