IF the information is correct, power rates per kilowatt hour of consumption for Bohol Electric Cooperative I (Boheco I) power consumers, leapt from P 17.2086 in September 15, 2022 to P19.55, as per September 21 report from a radio station based in Iloilo City.
The P2.35 increase in rate, puts Boheco with the most expensive power rate by a cooperative distribution utility, in the Visayas.
According to Iloilo City based radio station DyRI in its info-graphic which it posted September 22, the high costs of fuel and the dollar inflation rate has caused this spike.
In Bohol, Boheco 1 rate per kilowatt hour in November 2021 was P10.6611, and if this news would be true, there would be some P8.5911 price difference in the rates in the last 10 months.
In fact, in its notice posted September 15, Boheco 1’s published power per kilowatt rate is P17.2086.
From the matrix which Boheco 1 showed in its monthly power rate advisories, the cooperative has shown that its distribution, supply and metering charges (DSM) have remained at P1.6109 from November, although its reinvestment fund for sustainable capital expenditures (RFSC) gradually moved from 0.2904 to 0.5232 until March 2022 and then went up to 0.7676 until, at least this month.
Both DSM and RFSC are payable to Boheco 1.
And when most consumers are made to believe that the National Grid Corporation (NGC) is charging much for the transmission, the Boheco matrix proves that the transmission charge for using the NGC transmission lines only costs consumers some 0.54 centavos per kilowatt to 0.76 centavos in March.
Transmission charges however went up to P1.3951 per kilowatt in February, when NGC was at the peak of repairs and when Bohol used the local land-based generation sources here. Then it sagged down to 0.7612 in March and 0.6755 in April. By September, transmission cost per kilowatt hour is at 0.5158.
Transmission charges are paid to the NCP.
Consumers are also paying for other regulated charges and subsidies, to Power Sector Assets, Liabilities Management Corporation for subsidies to life line consumers and senior citizens. This charge went from 0.44 centavos in November to 0.4661 centavos in September.
So where is the biggest bulk of the payments for every kilowatt hour of usage?
That would be for the generation.
In November of last year, when consumers presumed that the biggest bulk of power getting to Bohol would be from Tongonan Geothermal Plant in Leyte, the generation charge consumers pay for every kilowatt hour of usage was pegged at P6.2663.
In December, when the typhoon broke the power lines connecting Bohol to the Visayas Grid and the Tongonan facility, the generation charges went up to P8.10995, with very few of Bohol consumers enjoying available land-based power.
With the rationing that happened in February and March and the use of the power barge, Dampas Diesel Power Plant and some few megawatts from hydro power plants, generation charge was at P13.4799 in February and P9.9819 in March.
In April, generation charges went down to P7.9082, but in May, when Bohol was slowly reconnecting to the grid, the generation charge went P9.6062 and P9.5553 in June.
By July, generation charges went P10.7474, to P10.7503 in August and then to P11.5536 this September, as of the 15th as per Boheco matrix.
There has been no word from Boheco as to the truth of the P19.55 new rate as of September 21. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
