Rates rose by 80¢ between March and April

The Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ceneco) revealed residential rates for May 2018 dropped by 71.90¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh), from P11.9020/kWh in April to P11.1830 this month.

The April rate refers to consumers considered “affected customers,” who were subject to additional charges with respect to an adjustment by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM).

The utility co-op credited the reduction primarily to a fluctuations in generation charges.

They also cited drops in transmission charges.

Meanwhile, Ceneco also responded to inquiries regarding customers who were affected and unaffected by the PSALM adjustment, which resulted in two different rates for city residents.

They explained “affected customers,” who were charged P11.90/kWh, were connected between January 2007 and April 2010; while “unaffected customers,” who were charged P11.58/kWh, were connected from May 2010 and onward.

Earlier this month, the Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod passed a resolution requesting an explanation from 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¢/kWh increase between March 2018 and April 2018, listing the additional costs as generation charge, transmission charge, system loss, the Korean Electric Power Corporation-Salcon Power Corporation Power Adjustment, and the PSALM adjustment.

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