The public is abuzz with the recent increase in electricity bills. This after the Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (SOLECO) announcement on the increase in electricity tariff from P11.6126 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in June 2021 to P13.1835 per kWh in July 2021. The increase in power rate entails consumers to pay P1.5709 more per kWh of consumption.
SOLECO Accounting Section Head, Mark Obligado, explained that the recent reduction of electricity supply reserves, affected by the shutdown of several power plants across the country, has caused the increase of electric generation rates. If the power supply in the country continues to decline, there is a great possibility that electricity prices will continue to rise in the coming months. Specifically, the generation charge had increased from P5.6 to P7.0, or a difference of P1.4, Obligado added.
“We have our power supplier/power plant in KEPCO SPC Power Corp in Iloilo and GNPower in Bataan. If we do not have enough supply from our supplier we have to buy from the stock market, which has a 12 kWh rate. The demand for electricity has also increased,” Obligado further explained.
SOLECO data from the past months reportedly showed that starting January the rate was P9.5/kWh, then P10.2 /kWh for February, P11 /kWh for March, P11.7/kWh for April, May and June. July has the highest rate with P13.1835 /kWh.
Obligado also clarified some questions about the power outages in some parts of the province, “in some instances, NGCP (National Grid Corporation of the Philippines) and SOLECO hold the responsibility, but these are immediately handled by the technical teams.”
The electric company is urging members and consumers to minimize use of high energy consuming home appliances and to employ energy efficiency strategies.
High electricity rate haunts consumers
