Consumers of the Dagupan Electric Corporation (DECORP) will see an increase of P0.70 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in their billing of December 2019.
Around P70 will be added to the overall electricity bill of a typical household consuming about 100 kWh per month.
DECORP’s legal counsel and spokesperson Randy Castillan said several emergency power plant shutdowns caused the increase.
“Aside from emergency shutdowns, the power plants are also taking advantage of the cold weather to conduct maintenance and repairs in preparation for the summer period where electricity demand skyrockets,” he was quoted in a Philippine News Agency report.
Only 40 MW of power can be produced by the two power plants the firm has bilateral contracts with.
“Sometimes, we (DECORP) peak at 70 MW which is why we purchase more power from the wholesale electricity stock market (WESM),” he added.
Prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) increases when there is a shortage in supply.
Castillan said power plants with expensive rates enter the power supply grid to meet the demand.
Consumers are advised to practice energy saving tips as the third round of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law will be applied in March 2020 billing.
Castillan said there is a plan to suspend the tax implementation but there’s still no advisory about the suspension.