Business Mirror
Published on Sunday, 28 October 2012 18:11 Written by Paul Anthony A. Isla
CONSUMERS would have to brace for an increase in the power bills next year owing to a possible hike of transmission charge.
This as the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), the country’s sole power lines concessionaire, has recently petitioned to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) that it be allowed to hike its rates next year.
Agnes de la Cruz, NGCP tariff design and wheeling management division head, told reporters that they have already filed their maximum allowable revenue (MAR) application for next year.
“We applied for P44.98 billion for next year from P40.35 billion this year. Hopefully, it will be approved by the ERC,” she added.
Under the third regulatory period, de la Cruz said, NGCP is required to file for an annual review on or before October 17. She said the rate-hike petition was based on the increase in demand for electricity, particularly by the Manila Electric Co.’s (Meralco), which grew by 6 percent.
Francis Saturnino Juan, ERC executive director and spokesman, confirmed that they have already received the NGCP’s filing for next year.
Juan said he has yet to see the petition itself, and that the update in NGCP’s rates could take effect next year. He said that NGCP’s regulatory year begins in January, which is based on the rules for transmission wheeling rates.
In 2010 the ERC has approved the NGCP’s five-year MAR of P198.81 billion for the regulatory periods 2011 to 2015.
In its 2010 approval, ERC said the monthly transmission charge would have a continuing decrease from 2011 to 2015, which is due to the lower revenue requirement determined by the ERC.
ERC added that the NGCP can still operate efficiently even with a lower operating budget.
(Paul Anthony A. Isla) source
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