Power consumers in areas covered by Iloilo Electric Cooperative (ILECO II) may expect lower electricity bills next month.
“May improvement pero ang ang pagreduce sang bills next month nyu pa ina mabatyagan. Agwantahon ta anay subong ang bills kay sa sunod bulan, magareduce na ina,” engineer Jose Redmond Eric Roquios, ILECO II general manager, said in an interview on IMT Conversations.
The expected reduction in power rates was attributed by Roquios to the help of traders and concerted efforts of all electric cooperatives.
This June, residential electricity rates in Iloilo and the rest of Panay Island went up to P12.20 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from May’s P9.80 kWh.
According to Roquios, the rise was due to higher prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
The increase in WESM charges was caused by maintenance activities conducted by various power plants in Luzon.
Roquios said the Department of Energy (DOE) called for an inquiry and summoned power generators.
To avoid the same thing to happen, the energy department told power geenrators to schedule their maintenance works and come up with other measures.
“Daku gid ang bulig sang intervention sang DOE sa ginhimo nila nga directive sa mga generators. Makita man namon ang result sa subong nga presyo sang kuryente,” said Roquios.
ILECO II and other electric cooperatives are also looking for other power supplier to further decrease power rates.
“Gapangita kita planta nga baklan. Need ta magbidding. Gintingob namon ang tanan nga power requirements for Panay para makakuha kami sang established nga planta. The bidding is ongoing na. May ara pa kmi pending nga gina process for ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) para makakuha sang brato nga planta nga magasupply sa aton sa bilog nga Panay,” Roquios disclosed.IMT
