IT IS A LONG time since I darkened the doors of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO). Nevertheless, I study the complicated missives that I receive promptly on the 18th of each month. These exhort me to pay the assigned charges “within seven days”.
Recently, I was delighted to note that these charges had become less unreasonable although I did not understand why. It was not until I read Mae Singnay’s report in last Wednesday’s PN that all was revealed.
It turned out that CENECO had paid for charges imposed by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for a damaged Cebu-Negros submarine cable. Why did CENECO have to pay? NGCP’s cable in Amlan, Negros Oriental was damaged in June 2021, resulting in power rates “soaring in Negros and Panay islands.’”
Yeah. I noticed. But I did not know why the costs increased. I thought it might have something to do with the bizarre bilateral contract that CENECO signed with Kepco Salcon in 2011. ERC Chairman Agnes Devanadera promised to conduct an audit as to why CENECO signed such a lop-sided contract but we have not seen any results so far.
The question then remains as to why it was CENECO or, more accurately, CENECO’s hapless member-consumers, had to pay for NGCP’s damaged cable.
We are waiting for an answer from CENECO and/or NGCP.
CENECO accepted the cable damage charges. Why? These resulted in excessive charges in our bills in June, July, and August 2021. Then, refunds we made in the billing months of November, December, and January. The excessive charges were not trivial. P280 million was involved.
Is it not incumbent on CENECO to refuse to pay for charges that are outside its area of responsibility?
Is there a corresponding lack of respect to CENECO’s member-consumers to impose, without warning, these charges?
CENECO needs to improve its communication channels with its customers who, unknowingly, are victims of charges for which they never should have been billed.
Now, in March, we are again expected, without any communication to pay high prices for our electricity. It is unfair of CENECO to treat us as a bottomless money pit who are expected to pay ’within seven days’ bill which, in some cases, CENECO knows we should not, eventually, have to pay.
Let’s have more respect for CENECO’s customers./PN
