Uproar over power rate hike

A staggering P1.54 per-kilowatt-hour increase reflected in this month’s electric bills triggered a public outburst criticizing two power distribution utilities here in Bohol.

Radio listeners aired over dyRD “Inyong Alagad” their clamor on the recent power rate increase implemented by Bohol Light Company Inc. (BLCI) and the Bohol Electric Cooperative (Boheco).

BLCI, which supplies electricity to city residents, is already collecting a P1.54 per kilowatt-hour increase reflected in the billing for the months of May and June.

Similarly, Boheco (now being managed independently under Boheco-1 and Boheco-2), supplying the municipalities, is also collecting a P1.06 per kWh increase on their consumers.

Several radio listeners expressed shock over their current electricity bills, the amounts of which almost doubled from the previous billing.

BLCI spokesperson May Hope Arcenal explained over “Inyong Alagad” on Wednesday that the increase is beyond the control of their company.

Arcenal said the rate hike is due to the increase in generation charge resulting from higher power costs incurred by distribution utilities from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (Wesm), which works like a stock market for electric producers and consumers. The generation charge increase is pegged at 85-centavos per kWh.

Other than the generation charge, the higher rate is also the result of higher costs being collected by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Psalm) and the National Power Corporation.

Meanwhile, Boheco services administrator Lorenzo Bangcoy, in a separate interview with “Inyong Alagad” said that Boheco, which is a cooperative, will not be getting anything out of the newly imposed rate increase.

Bangcoy explained that Boheco is simply passing on to their consumer-members the increase in generation charge from their purchase of electricity from the Wesm and the state-run Psalm.

Instead, BLCI and Boheco advised their consumers to manage their power consumption and should learn to conserve electricity, whether they are in their households or in their workplaces.