GUIMELCO answers power bill spike issues before town council

The Guimaras Electric Cooperative (GUIMELCO) explained to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Guimaras and Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Jordan several issues raised by consumers, particularly the sudden spike in electricity bills.

GUIMELCO attended a conference with SP members and other concerned public officials last May 4, 2020 to explain the causes for the abrupt increase of power bills of consumers amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The cooperative was also invited to the first monthly session of Jordan SB to tackle the same concern.

In both conferences and sessions, the following topics were covered and discussed:

 

SOURCES OF POWER SUPPLY

GUIMELCO General Manager Shirley S. Laurente explained that the base load requirements of the cooperative are sourced from the Green Core Geothermal Corporation, Inc. (GCGI) and the Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) to cover the 5MW demand of the province.

The rest of the power supply requirement in excess of the 5MW contracted capacity, especially during peak hours, is sourced from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

The legislators also inquired on the measures done by the cooperative to minimize the exposure of GUIMELCO to the WESM that may cause the generation charge to go up.

“We understand that the spot market [WESM] is volatile, so based on the recommendation of our Corporate Services Office, we decided to source from the National Power Corporation (NPC) through the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) an additional 1MW for the base load and 1.5MW for the peak load,” Laurente added.

Laurente also emphasized that the setup is beneficial to the cooperative and the Member-Consumer-Owners (MCOs) since the charge of NPC is pegged to the Time of Use criteria and the contract is only short-term and only valid for one year.

“This measure is just temporary as the Panay-Guimaras Power Supply Consortium is still working into the Competitive Selection Process (CSP) for the additional contracted capacity to be taken by Electric Cooperatives (EC) in Panay and Guimaras,” Laurente added.

The CSP is a requirement of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) based on the Department of Energy (DOE) Department Circular 2018-06-ooo8 which mandates all distribution utilities to undergo CSP in securing Power Supply Agreements (PSA).

 

COMPONENTS OF POWER RATE

Also discussed were the Components of Power Rate as indicated in the Billing Statement issued to the MCOs.

Laurente clarified that the format of the Billing Statement or Electric Bill is required by the ERC for transparency and all the rates and its computation are regulated by the ERC.

 

ABRUPT INCREASE

Laurente also discussed factors affecting the increase in power consumption such as the extended time of usage of consumers of their appliances and gadgets due to the Community Quarantine and the summer season.

She emphasized that this concern happen almost every summer as the electricity demand of the province goes up during the warm season.

In a data presented by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), April posted the highest demand of about 8.4MW compared to 8.2MW in March 2020.

In addition, the kilowatt-hour (kWh) meters used by GUIMELCO are tested and sealed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to ensure its accuracy in recording electricity consumption.

“This concern is not just affecting the Province of Guimaras but also by other Electric Cooperatives in the country,” Laurente said.

 

OTHER PAYMENT RELIEFS

Aside from the Pantawid Liwanag Program, GUIMELCO is also extending its due dates for the Months of April and May up to May 29, 2020 without penalty and interest to help MCOs prioritize their needs during the crisis.

The cooperative is also accepting Staggered Payment for those who can’t pay their bills in full. Applications can be made online (https://bit.ly/gspsi) or by visiting GUIMELCO Offices.

Laurente thanked all the officials present for the invitation and for hearing the side of GUIMELCO and give her assurance that the suggestions and comments will be considered as long as it is beneficial to both the cooperative and its MCOs.