BAGUIO CITY – Member-consumer-owners (MCOs) in Baguio and Benguet continue to enjoy cheap and quality power rates amidst the prevailing leadership crisis hounding the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) following the slight decrease of P0.0356 per kilowatt-hour decrees in their monthly power bills for February.
Based on the comparative data of the monthly power bills of consumers for January and February, the decrease in the power rates was because of the significant reduction in systems loss charge from P0.5229/kwh in January to P0.5107/kwh in February and the lifeline rate charge from P0.0761/kwh in January to P0.0698/kwh this month.
However, there was a slight increase reflected in the generation cost in February where consumers will be charged P4.9501/kwh compared to the P4.9501/kwh charged to them last January.
Further, the transmission charge of P0.7475/kwh this month is also slightly higher compared to the P0.7417/kwh last month.
On the other hand, BENECO’s commercial rate in February which is P8.5401/kwh is much lower compared to the P8.5704/kwh commercial rate charged to commercial users in January.
The industrial rate in February which is P8.5087/kwh is also lower compared to the P8.5390/kwh industrial rate charged by BENEC from industrial consumers last month.
Moreover, there was also a decrease that was reflected for public buildings where the charge for February is P8.5123/kwh compared to the P8.5426/kwh in January.
For streetlights, BENECO billed the consumption for February at P8.5401/kwh compared to the P8.5704/kwh bill for streetlights last January.
The comparative data showed that commercial high voltage rate in February is P7.1040/kwh for prospective consumers compared to the P7.1296/kwh in January.
For public buildings with high voltage, BENECO consumers were charged P7.0762/kwh in February compared to the charge of P7.1018/kwh for similar categories in January.
BENECO owns the distinction of charging from its consumers the cheapest power rates compared to much larger electric cooperatives and even private power distribution utilities even if it has to serve the power requirements of people living in non-viable areas within its franchise area.
BENECO has been constantly been recognized by the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (PHILRECA), the association of electric cooperatives in the country, for having sustained the cheapest power rates being charged to its consumers over the past several years aside from having maintained a single digit systems loss charge.
Despite being hounded by the prevailing leadership impasse and the unauthorized withdrawal of the funds by electric cooperatives but purported appointed officials, BENECO remains to be steadfast in responding to calls for emergency and for assistance that makes it a resilient electric cooperative with the overwhelming support of MCOs who believe on the existing leadership and not on others even with the machinations being employed by the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and its Board of Administrators to pave the way for a possible takeover of a private company.