RDC-7 tells DOE: Probe Bohol high power rates

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Governor Edgar Chatto found an ally in the Regional Development Council when the latter, during its full council meeting, approved his motion for an investigation into the high power rates that burdened the consumers in Bohol.

The RDC meeting, held here and presided over by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, unanimously approved a resolution urging the Department of Energy to look into what the consumers called an “excessive” imposition of power rates.

The RDC’s technical working group may be convened, if not the RDC executive council, together with DOE to tackle the high power rates, according to the provisions of the resolution.

Just recently, complaints on the sudden increase in power monthly billings allegedly without the benefit of public hearing have filled the airlanes. Worse, weekly and unannounced brownouts province-wide have recently been experienced by consumers.

Boholano consumers are being served by the Bohol Electric Cooperatives I and II, while city consumers are served by the Bohol Light Company, the former component of Provincial Public Utilities Department that was privatized years ago.

A case in point showed that generation charge amounted only to P4.605900 per kilowatt hour (kWh) during the billing period — April 15, 2012 to May 15, 2012.

But the latest billing now amounted to P6.152300 per kWh during the May 15, 2012 to June 15, 2012 period. This showed an increase of P1.546400 per kWh, added to the latest billing.

On systems loss being charged to the consumers, the billing amounted to P0.428000 per kWh (April 15, 2012–May 15, 2012 period), but the latest charge showed it rose to P0.536500 per kWh (May 15, 2012–June 15, 2012).

A consumer said that he used to pay only less than P1,000 for about 130-kWh consumption through the preceding billing period but in the present billing he pays P1,315.72 for about the same consumption. This meant an increase of about P400, which is equivalent to almost 25 percent hike.

He told The Freeman that this is too much to bear for the lowly consumers like him who only uses electricity for basic lighting, TV and a refrigerator.

The government and the distribution firms should not make large profits by taking advantage of the poor since electricity is a basic service to the people, he lamented.