NEA monitors higher cooperative rates

By Alena Mae S. Flores – January 23, 2022
from manilastandard.net

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) has monitored increased electricity charges from cooperatives in September to the last quarter of 2021 due to high fuel prices.

“Based on review of the electric cooperatives’ (ECs) residential unbundled rates for September 2021, more than 44 percent of the 121 ECs manifested a considerably high energy charges while significant increases from the previous quarter were observed among 18 percent of the 121 ECs,” NEA said in its advisory.

NEA attributed the upsurge in electricity prices to high fuel prices due to the spike in coal prices in the world market.

To mitigate higher charges, NEA directed all ECs, especially those with high system losses and/or those which exceeded the 12 percent threshold set by the Energy Regulatory Commission, to strengthen and strictly implement their system loss reduction program.

NEA also ordered the ECs to ensure compliance with the Department of Energy circular DC 2018-02-0003 in the conduct of the competitive selection process on power supply agreements.