BAGUIO CITY – Power rates being charged by the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) to the member-consumer-owners (MCOs) continue to slightly increase over the past several months primarily due to the minimal increases in the transmission and systems loss charges of the electric cooperative.
In the May power bills of consumers, there was a very minimal increase in BENECO’s generation charge of P4.9502 per kilowatt-hour (kwh) compared to the P4.9501/kwh last April.
Further, its transmission charge of P0.8589/kwh this month is also higher by P0.093/kwh compared to the P0.8496/kwh that was billed to the MCOs last month.
For the systems loss charge, one of BENECO’s pass on charges, slight increase was reported in May where MCOs were billed P0.5836/kwh compared to the P0.5482/kwh systems loss charge last month.
BENECO’s residential rates in May increased by P0.0294/kwh which is much lower compared to the projected significant increase primarily because of the effect of the continuous hike in coal prices in the world market where coal is a major component being used by power generation plants to produce the power being supplied to the electric cooperatives and private distribution companies.
On the other hand, commercial power rates also increased by P0.0316/kwh from the P8.7981/kwh in April compared to the P8.8297/kwh in May.
Industrial power rates in is P8.7983/kwh which is P0.0315/kwh higher compared to the P8.7668/kwh last month.
For low voltage public buildings, the power rate chart for May is P8.8019/kwh which is also P0.0315.kwh higher compared to last month’s charge of P8.7704/kwh.
BENECO’s power charge for streetlights in May is P8.8297/kwh which is P0.0316/kwh compared to the P8.7981/kwh that was billed the same category last month.
On the other hand, commercial high voltage rates in May is pegged at P87.2383/kwh which is P0.0190/kwh higher compared to the P7.2193/kwh that was billed the consumers last month while high voltage public buildings were billed P7.2105/kwh this month which is P0.0189/kwh higher compared to the P7.1916/kwh that was billed the same category last month.
Earlier, power industry experts predicted that the uncontrolled increase in coal prices in the world market since last year might have a significant impact on the power rates being charged by the electric cooperatives and the private distribution companies to their consumers as the same can no longer be absorbed by the generation companies.
However, such projected significant increase in power rates have not yet been felt as the increases that had been reflected in the monthly bills of consumers were reportedly slight adjustments that are still manageable with the prevailing difficult situation on the road to recovery.
BENECO was able to maintain its standing as one of the electric cooperatives in the country that was able to maintain the lowest power rates being charged to the consumers because of its ability to continuously maintain and further lower its systems loss to a single digit as part of its mission to deliver quality and cheap power to the consumers.
