Razon-led MORE Electric and Power Corp. on Thursday said it will lower its rates back to the levels before the Cebu-Negros Submarine Cable tripped.
MORE welcomed the decision of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to temporarily stop congestion charge collections in Panay and Negros, noting that this would lead to residential rates even lower than the P6.45 per kilowatt-hour in July.
According to MORE spokesperson Jonathan Cabrera, the firm’s residential rates will be lowered to P6.38 per kilowatt-hour, after it spiked to P7.99 per kilowatt-hour when the transmission line tripped.
Commercial rates will also be reduced to P6.11 per kilowatt-hour, and power/industrial rates down to P6.05 per kilowatt-hour.
“Hands down, this is a win for Iloilo City electric power consumers,” the company said in an emailed statement.
The ERC earlier ordered the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC) to stop collecting congestion charges and other applicable charges including line rentals. It also ordered the refund of payments from June to August 2021 within two months.
“Together we aired that it is too unfair for the consumers to take on the burden that is not of their own making. Thank you for rallying with us,” MORE Power President Roel Castro said.
The said transmission line tripped on June 15 due to the amphibious dredging activities conducted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on one of the lines.
This caused a reduced transfer capacity of the Cebu-Negros Submarine Cable, worsening congestion and limiting the available supply. Diesel plants have since been tapped to compensate for the demand, bringing electricity rates higher in Panay and Negros.
The ERC in March 2020 stood firm that MORE Electric and Power Corp. is the sole power distributor in Iloilo City, taking over from Panay Electric Company (PECO). —LBG/BM, GMA News
0 comentários :
Post a Comment