The Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (NOCECO) has implemented a significant increase in the electricity rate for April 2025, reaching up to P15.6104 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
This is a substantial rise of Php 1.6509/kWh compared to the March 2025 rate of Php 13.9595/kWh, the power distributor said in a statement.
NOCECO attributed this upward adjustment primarily to a considerable surge in the Generation Charge, which increased by Php 1.2785/kWh, and a higher Transmission Charge, which rose by Php 0.3737/kWh.
While NOCECO noted that the rates from some of its power suppliers, namely PCPC, GNPOWER, and KSPC, had decreased, the substantial increase in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) prices outweighed these reductions, leading to an overall higher generation charge.
The Generation Charge is a pass-through cost that NOCECO pays to power generation companies and is subject to external factors such as fuel prices and prevailing market conditions, which are beyond NOCECO’s direct control.
Furthermore, NOCECO explained that with the expiration of the GNPK contract, the cooperative proactively entered into an emergency power supply agreement with FDC. This strategic move was undertaken to ensure a more stable and reliable power supply for consumers and to mitigate potential exposure to the volatile prices of the WESM.
