TWO electric cooperatives in Negros Occidental have reported slight decreases in their power rates for this November.

Danny Pondevilla, acting general manager of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), said the average residential rate for the billing month of November 2021 is now at P10.0621 per kilowatt hour (kWh).

The amount is 11-centavo lower compared to the electricity cost of P10.1788 per kWh last month.

Pondevilla said the drop is attributed to the reduction in generation, transmission and systems loss charges.

He said it was also caused by the implementation of Time-Of-Use (TOU) rate for 24 megawatts (MW) ordered by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) last month and June this year.

Other reasons included the reduction in the price of power from the Wholesale Electricity Stock Market (Wesm), which was also ordered by the ERC and the decrease in other pass-through charges such as the value added tax (VAT), he added.

The pass-through charges equivalent to P8.8755 per kWh of the total power rate included the generation and transmission charges, ERC-approved adjustments, government subsidies and taxes.

Only P1.1866 per kWh of the power rate goes to Ceneco through Distribution, Supply, Metering (DSM) Charges and Reinvestment Fund for Sustainable Capital Expenditure Program (RFSC) for its administrative and operational services.

Since 2010, the DSM and RFSC rate of Ceneco, the largest electric cooperative in the province, has not increased, the utility said.

It supplies power to the cities of Silay, Talisay, Bago and Bacolod, and towns of Don Salvador and Murcia.

Meanwhile, consumers in the northern part of the province, from E.B. Magalona to San Carlos City, can also expect a drop of about P0.79 per kWh this month.

The Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) announced that its power rate for November is P10.3367 per kWh from P11.1328 per kWh last month.

Pondevilla, who is also the general manager of Noneco, said is a continuing result on their appeal and those of other electric cooperatives in Panay and Negros on the deferment in the collection of congestion cost and line rental until the damaged Cebu-Negros submarine cable of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is restored.

The decrease is also due to the refund of congestion charges, and other applicable charges collected by Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) for the billing month of July 2021 on orders of the Energy Regulatory Commission, he added.

The remaining areas in the south, from Pulupandan to Hinoba-an, are catered by Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco) which has yet to announce its power rate for this month.