Tabuk City, Kalinga – “Diay ti kayat mi nga i-explain or pontoan nga we cannot compare KAELCO (Kalinga Electric Cooperative), apple to an apple, with other coops, particularly idiay haan na nga ka-groupmates,” underscored KAELCO’s Corporate Plan Chief, Leonardo C. Egcatan, in a press conference held on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at the coop’s building.
Egcatan, through his presentation, answered the common query thrown by member-consumers, especially when the cooperative announced the expected electric bill rate increase due to global coal and oil prices.
The end users took to social media their dismay and compared KAELCO’s rate to nearby electric cooperatives such as Benguet Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BENECO) and Isabela I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ISELCO I), among others.
Electric Coops grouped by ERC
According to the Corporate Plan Chief, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) grouped the electric cooperatives in accordance with their consumer density or the number of consumers per kilometer of a line, and consumer consumption in a year.
Egcatan emphasized that since 2010, the ERC regulated the fixed rates of the grouped cooperatives.
KAELCO, he said, falls under Group A with 3.1965 distribution charge, the regulated cost of building, operating and maintaining the distribution system, which brings power from high-voltage transmission grids to end users.
BENECO and ISELCO I, on the other hand, are under Group F with only 1.5372 distribution rate.
“Maysa tayo iti nagatidug ti linya ngem bassit ti consumer na. Manmanu lang garuden ti consumer na, bassit paylang ti panag-consume na, diay energy consumption kasi more on nga rural iti ayan tayo,” pointed Egcatan.
“Ti layman na lang diay ket what if ngata nu pagko-contributan tayo daytoy balur ti cellphone. In effect kanya tayo ditoy Kalinga, ta we are about 57,000 consumers. Imagine lang diay whatever nga amount na daytoy, i-divide tayo ti kina-adu tayo ditoy versus same nga cellphone, same nga amount paggegedwaan ti mas dakdakkel nga coops. Diay ti kasla principle nga in-adopt ni ERC,” explained the Corporate Plan Chief.
BENECO is supplied by its local hydro
In addition, Board President Isaac Baliang said BENECO is being supplied by its local hydropower, as compared to KAELCO which is coal and oil-dependent.
“Idiay BENECO, adda hydro da ngay isu na-limit diay gatgatangen da. Datayo, naka-rely tayo amin idiay coal. Adda hydro tayo ngem it contributes 11% lang,” Baliang disclosed, suggesting development of such renewable energy in the locality.
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