MANILA – Given the low demand for petroleum and coal, Energy Committee chairman Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian believes that there is no reason for a significant increase in electricity costs.
While generation businesses are allowed to boost rates and pass them on to customers through monthly bills, Gatchalian stated in a radio interview that this should be justified and that current conditions do not warrant a steep increase in prices.
“Ang nakikita ko kasi sa ganitong panahon, hindi ko pa nakikita na ang presyo ng kuryente ay masyadong tataas dahil ang pandaigdigang konsumo ng petrolyo, coal, ay mababa pa rin,” he told DZRH on Sunday.
Locally, the Manila Electric Co. hiked its rates in August by 9.5 centavos per kilowatt-hour, citing higher transmission charges. This would translate to a P19 increase in the total bill of residential customers consuming 200 kilowatts per hour.
“Ang global demand hindi pa ganun kataas kaya wala akong nakikitang dahilan sa malaki ng pagtaas ng presyo ng kuryente sa ating bansa,” the senator said.
Last week, local oil firms reported a rollback in prices per liter of diesel and kerosene while keeping the prices of gasoline unchanged.
However, Gatchalian that the Energy Regulatory Commission still has oversight on the requests of generation firms to hike prices.(GMA News)
