The customers of the Bohol Light Company Inc. (BLCI) and Bohol 1 Electric Cooperative (Boheco 1) should brace themselves and expect higher electricity bills this August 2022.
However, consumers of Boheco 2 are in a different league, as there is a minimal reduction in their electricity bill this August compared to July 2022.
According to an advisory from the BLCI, it said that residential customers should expect an increase of P0.99 per kilowatt hour in their August 2022 bill, while commercial customers will be seeing an increase of P1.08 per kilowatt hour in their bill this month.
BLCI’s spokesperson Cheryl Paga said that the increase in the rates per kilowatt hour is due to a hike in the generation cost brought about by high fuel prices.
She clarified that the generation charge is a pass through charge. This means that this is the cost that BLCI pays to its power supplier.
Thus, the power generator is the one that has caused a spike in the electric bill this month and not BLCI.
In a separate advisory signed by Engr. Dino Nicolas Roxas, Boheco 1 said that the August 2022 electric bill shall show an increase compared to the July 2022 electric bill.
Roxas said that the increase in the bill of Boheco 1 customers is P0.0776 per kilowatt hour for residential consumers.
The advisory did not mention about rates for the commercial or non-residential users.
Roxas said that the increase is brought about by more expensive generation charge due to high fuel costs.
Roxas explained that since the increase in rates is due to the more expensive generation charge, the electric cooperative has no control over the hike in electricity rates.
Both the BLCI and Boheco 1 are advising their customers to save on electricity to cushion the impact of the increases in the electric bill.
Meanwhile, the consumers belonging to the Boheco 2 area will have a lower electricity bill this August compared to their July 2022 bill.
In an information provided by Imelda Sepe of Boheco 2 to The Bohol Tribune, it shows that the bill for August is cheaper by P0.73 per kilowatt hour compared to the July 2022 billing.
Sepe explained that most of their electricity comes from geothermal sources, thus cheaper than coal.
For Boheco 2’s lower voltage customers, the rate is P0.746 per kilowatt hour cheaper.
Furthermore, Boheco 2’s High Voltage customers will pay P0.703 less in August 2022 compared to July 2022 bill.
