Power rates being charged by the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) on its member-consumer-owners (MCOs) dropped by P0.1004 per kilowatthour this July compared to the rates billed the MCOs last month.
Based on the data obtained from BENECO under the able leadership of Acting General Manager Atty. Delmar O. Carin֮o, the residential rate for July is P9.6962/kwh compared to the similar rate of P9.7966/kwh during the previous billing cycle.
The components of the power bills that contributed to the reduction in the July power rates were the drop in the transmission charge from P0.5886/kwh last month to P0.4843/kwh or a decline by P0.1054/kwh for the current billing period and the systems loss charge from P0.6225/kwh in June compared to the P0.6058/kwh or a reduction of P0.0167/kwh for the present billing period.
BENECO’s commercial low voltage rate also dropped by P0.1341/kwh for the present billing period or from P9.0036/kwh compared to the P8.8695/kwh this July.
Further, industrial power rates also dropped by P0.1341/kwh or from P8.9722/kwh last month compared to the current P8.8381/kwh.
Public building low voltage rates declined by a similar P0.1341/kwh or from P8.9758/kwh compared to the P8.8417/kwh that was billed to the consumers for the present billing cycle.
For streetlights, the rates dropped by P0.1341/kwh or from P9.0036/kwh which was billed to the consumers last month compared to the current P8.8695/kwh.
However, commercial high voltage rates recorded a slight increase of P0.0305/kwh for the present billing cycle or from P7.7574/kwh last month compared to the current charge of P7.7878/kwh.
Moreover, public building high voltage rates also recorded an increase of P0.0305/kwh for this July or from P7.7296/kwh during the previous billing cycle compared to the current P7.7600/kwh.
BENECO is one of the electric cooperatives that charges its consumers with cheap power rates comparable to the prevailing rates of much larger public and private power distribution companies despite the existence of non-viable areas that it must provide power.
The electric cooperative was able to maintain its cheap power rates amidst the leadership crisis that confronted BENECO for more than a year that caused the downgrading of its status from a Class AAA to Class C cooperative.
BENECO remains bullish of being able to continue providing its increasing number of consumers with cheap and quality power as well as being able to maintain its reliable distribution system beneficial in improving the appropriate services for the consumers.
