BACOLOD CITY – Average residential power rates in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, decreased in October due to the lower generation charge following the reduction in prices of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
The downward rate adjustment was announced by Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco), Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), and Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco) in separate advisories.
On Tuesday, Noneco reported a reduction of PhP 0.89 per kilowatt hour (kWh) from PhP 15.04 in September to PhP 14.15 this month.
“The payment for the WESM bill for the month of June 2024, divided and paid in four months, has already been completed,” its management said.
There is also a decrease in the WESM market price from PhP 9.58 per kWh in September to only PhP 8.52, or a difference of PhP 1.06, it added.
Ceneco, which entered into a joint venture agreement with Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power), reported a reduction of PhP 0.62 per kWh in October for this month’s rate of PhP 11.06 from PhP 11.68 in September.
“The decrease is primarily driven by the reduction in the generation charge due to the significant drop in WESM prices and decrease in value-added tax charges,” the Ceneco management said.
In August, Negros Power started to take over the operations of Ceneco after obtaining a franchise to manage and operate the electricity distribution system in the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay, and Silay, as well as the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto.
Down south, Noceco announced a downward adjustment of PhP 1.63 per kWh for the current month, which translates to a rate of PhP 12.91 from the previous month’s PhP 14.54.
“This significant drop is primarily attributed to the PhP 4.03 per kWh decrease in spot market energy prices, leading to a lower blended generation charge of PhP 6.61,” its management said. (PNA)