News Update NGCP hikes power rates in Mindanao anew

KIDAPAWAN CITY — The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines is again imposing a 14 centavo per kilowatt-hour increase on the consumption of power cooperatives in Mindanao, a senior power cooperative official said Sunday.

Felix Canja, Cotabato Electric Cooperative executive assistant to the general manager, said the additional charge would reflect on electricity bills in June.

Despite the rains recorded in past week, Canja said that the NGCP claimed that low water levels in its hydropower plants were not enough to feed the power cooperatives in Mindanao.

The association known as Cotelco started collecting additional charges of P1.57 per kWh in May based on the new rates that took into consideration the pass-on ancillary charges imposed by the NGCP.

“We have nothing to do about it since we just abide (by) the order coming from NGCP," Canja explained over dxND radio here.

With the previous ancillary charges of P1.57, Cotelco is charging its member-consumers P8.63 per kWh. The additional 14 centavos will be added to the previous rate, bringing the charge to P8.77 per kilowatt-hour that will take effect in the June power bill.

The increase in transmission rates for May and June were results of buying electricity from power barge 117 at Nasipit in Agusan del Norte, and power barge 118 at Maco in Compostela Valley, Canja explained.

Cotelco members earlier questioned the sudden increase in their bills.

Helma Daduros, a homeowner at Apo Sandawa Homes Phase-3 subdivision here, claimed her bill the previous month totaled P889. Her appliances were a refrigerator, two electric fans, television, radio. On top of her appliances, her house has three 18-watt incandescent lamps.

“I usually pay P550 to P650 for my power bill, but in May I was surprised that my power consumptions have reached almost P900," Daduros said.

But Cotelco management claimed that the cooperative could not control the sudden increase as the Energy Regulatory Commission approved the charges under the Ancillary Procurement Agreement on power barges with Therma Marine Inc. in March and April, Canja said.

In June, the Sangguniang Panlungsod or provincial board passed a resolution asking the NGCP to spare North Cotabato, which hosts the Mt. Apo geothermal power plant, from additional charges.

The NGCP has yet to grant the province’s request. —Jerrie Abella/VS