The price increase in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) has led to higher residential power rates for July in Bacolod City and other localities in central and southern Negros Occidental.

Separate reports showed yesterday that the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) recorded an increase of P0.5825 per kilowatt hour (kWh), while the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco) reported an upward adjustment of P1.3119 per kWh.

“The rate hike is mainly attributed to the increase in total generation charge due to the rise in the WESM price,” the Ceneco management said in a statement.

From P12.7632 per kWh in June, this month’s rate is P13.3457 per kWh for consumers in the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay, and Silay, as well as the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto.

According to Ceneco, generation charges rose by 6.67 percent, mainly due to the P1.6253 per kWh increase in the WESM price.

Down south, from Pulupandan to Hinoba-an, the residential rate for Noceco consumers went up to P16.1134 per kWh in July, from only P14.8015 in June.

“The main factor for the higher cost is the P3.8118 increase in the price of energy in the WESM, from P11.2147 in June to P15.0266 per kWh in July,” Noceco management said in its advisory. (PNA)