GUIMELCO cuts June electricity rates by 28%

JORDAN, Guimaras – In a move set to ease the financial burden on consumers, the Guimaras Electric Cooperative (GUIMELCO) announced a significant reduction in electricity rates for June 2024.

The residential electricity rate has been slashed by Php 4.0551/kWh, bringing the new rate down to Php 10.4135/kWh from May’s Php 14.4686/kWh.

The decrease is largely attributed to reduced generation charges in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

This change follows an Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) order issued on June 13, 2024, under ERC Case No. 2024-017-MC.

The ERC directive mandates distribution utilities to “stagger the collection from their consumers of the component of their generation charges arising from WESM purchases for the May 2024 WESM Billing Month in four equal monthly installments, from June 2024 to September 2024.”

In response to this development, GUIMELCO, in collaboration with the Electric Cooperatives Association of Region VI, sent a letter to the ERC.

The letter highlighted concerns about potential sharp increases in generation charges over the next three months if WESM rates continue to rise.

“If ERC does not consider our request, we anticipate a significant hike in generation charges for the coming months to cover the remaining monthly installments should the WESM rate continue its upward trend,” GUIMELCO stated.

Additionally, the ERC’s decision on March 20, 2024, under ERC Case No. 2022-051RC, authorized TransCo to implement a new Feed-In Tariff Allowance (FIT-All) Rate of Php 0.0838/kWh, up from the previous rate of Php 0.0364/kWh, effective with the June 2024 billing.

To mitigate the impact of higher electricity bills, GUIMELCO’s Board and Management are urging all Member-Consumer-Owners (MCOs) to adopt electricity conservation measures.

For any concerns, MCOs can contact GUIMELCO through their official Facebook page or by calling 09983692121 or 09173030191.