Electric Rates Going Up

[Call me bubba]

seems that this months electric rates for the meralco service area is going UP

here is a summary of how much. as i find the other stories related to this increase i will post

 

 

 

 

MANILA, Philippines - There will be no further power rate hike in January 2014 after the record increase in the generation charge for December 2013 of P3.44 per kilowatt-hour.

 

Power regulator Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) ordered Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) on Friday night not to implement further increases in its generation charge for January 2014.

The generation charge is the cost of power that Meralco pays power plants for the previous month’s supply. Meralco is allowed to pass this on to consumers through the automatic generation rate adjustment mechanism but it consults the ERC when the rates are too high as what happened in the December generation charge.

 

ERC ordered Meralco to maintain the January 2014 generation charge at P7.37 per kwh, the original estimate Meralco earlier submitted to the commission after the power firm

said the actual figures could be higher than P7.37 per kwh.

 

The order does not change Meralco’s staggered billing scheme for the P3.44 per kwh increase in the December generation charge, which Meralco will collect from its 5.2 million customers in three installments: P2 per kwh in December, P1 per kwh in February and P0.44 per kwh in March.

Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said the ERC order would not affect the earlier approved staggered billing system.

 

“That only applies to the December supply month which is applicable on the January billing. That does not affect the previous order of staggered payments which covers the December billing,” he said.

Nevertheless, Meralco first vice president Ivanna dela Peña said the power distributor would have to clarify with the ERC if its latest order would have any impact on the staggered billing scheme.

 

ERC officials were not available for comment as of press time.

In a Dec. 19 letter to the ERC, Meralco expressed “concerns” that the generation charge for January “will be significantly higher” than the estimated P7.37 per kwh “as the bills of the suppliers are still to be received after the 26th of the month and validated until the early days of the next billing month.”

 

In rejecting Meralco’s request, ERC cited its mandate “to ensure the adequate promotion of the consumer interest under Section 41 of Republic Act 9136 (RA 9136), as well as its responsibility to validate that no abuse of market power was committed by any of the participants in the spot market.”

The ERC advised Meralco to file a separate request for approval of a recovery scheme for the distributor’s unrecovered generation costs within a 90-day period.

Meralco’s generation charge for December rose to a record high of P3.44 per kwh as a result of the month-long maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya gas-to-power project, and the simultaneous “forced shutdown” of three key power plants in Luzon.

 

Praised, belittled

The ERC order, meanwhile, drew praises from Malacañang, which considered it an indication of the regulator’s readiness to listen to different sectors, particularly consumers.

“The ERC order appears to respond to calls from legislators, consumer groups and other stakeholders to validate the basis for Meralco’s generation charge that is used as basis for computing power rate adjustments,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said yesterday.

 

“We reiterate the government’s determination to prevent abuse of market power and protect consumer welfare,” Coloma said.

But for Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. of Dasmariñas City in Cavite, the ERC order meant nothing.

 

“It’s an empty gesture. In the first place, ERC did not approve any adjustment for January. What they told us in the committee on energy of the House of Representatives is that Meralco’s increase of P4.15 per kilowatt-hour would be spread over three months: this month, in February and in March,” he said.

“Their statements were that the three installments would be one-time payments, meaning the December increase will not be billed in January, the February adjustment will not be collected in March and the March increase will disappear in the April bills. Therefore, there is clearly no additional collection for January,” he said.

Barzaga said the ERC order could only mean that there might be an increase for next month that officials of both the commission and Meralco have not revealed to the public and to the House energy committee.

He also said the ERC should have first examined the details and justifications of every centavo increase in electricity rates before approving it.

“They failed in their mandate to protect the interest of the people,” he said, referring to the ERC. – 

 

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/12/22/1270924/no-power-rate-hike-january

[SubicSteve]

Thieves.  Nothing but thieves. 

[JJReyes]

Does anyone have information on the estimated Philippine cost per kilowatt hour for alternative energy? This would include solar, wind. hydro and biomass.

[jpbago]

Does anyone have information on the estimated Philippine cost per kilowatt hour for alternative energy? This would include solar, wind. hydro and biomass.

 

Hydro is always the least expensive but here it is not available in abundance because of too many small rivers and too many islands. The others are more expensive than oil or coal. Last month, our rate was 5.82 and my bill was 1,448p so I cannot complain. The kwh rate changes monthly. The add-on charges add up as it does with Cebu Pacific airfares.

[Malcolm Graham]

mine jumped from 2500 to 3600 this month but still a reasonable amount

[Fred & Mimi]

They said on the TV GMANews that there will be a freeze on any electric price hikes for 60 days. Merry Xmas everyone :71120:

[OnMyWay]

When we moved to Subic Bay Freeport I had heard that the electricity was cheaper here (compared to what?) but I have no idea if that is true.  From what you guys have posted your bills are a lot less than mine, but that is all relative to usage.  I just compiled our usage for the first 8 months here and our average pesos per kwh is 9.28.  I suspect that is middle of that pack.  What is yours?

[jpbago]

there will be a freeze on any electric price hikes

 

There is a freeze on electric rates on the East coast of Canada and USA. Freezing rain caused blackouts (same as brownouts here for those that have been here too long) for 800,000 customers for 2 days and still for 100,000 on Christmas Day. It is barbecued turkey instead of roasted turkey. Some deep fry it as well. 

[earthdome]

Here in Baguio using Beneco the rate is 8.87p/kwh.

 

When I lived in San Fernando, La Union using LUECO the rate was 9.37p/kwh.

 

So I am saving 50 centavos per kwh after moving to Baguio plus I use a fraction in Baguio compared to La Union due to not needing to use aircon.

[Jack Peterson]

Here in Baguio using Beneco the rate is 8.87p/kwh.

 

 

Here on Negros, using NORECO I or II we are paying 10.37 p/kwh. :unsure:  this,  is due to rise,some 2.5%  in February. :1 (103):  Please, Do count your Blessings, this Xmas  Fellow members :t07045:

 

 

:tiphat: