ANGELES CITY – Angeles Electric Corp.’s (AEC) “unexplained” huge power rates increase is now sending a negative impression to most Angelenos.
Knowing that AEC is a Nepomuceno-owned power firm, residents here alleged that the “huge increase will be used for the campaign of incumbent mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno” in the 2010 elections.
In a text message, a businessman in Barangay Agapito Del Rosario who refused to be named said: “Manipun ne yatang pondu ing mayor para keng 2010 election.. karakal da deng residents keng Angeles, balang bale atin lang kuryenti… (It seems the mayor is already saving funds for the 2010 elections..there are too many residents in Angeles, each household has electricity…).”
Jake C. (not his real name) said that the mayor may have knowledge of this, “or he could possibly be the mastermind.”
He also said their average monthly electric bill is at less than P2,000. “It’s even lesser, but in the past three months, it went up to as high as P2,925.00.”
Punto tried to reach City Administrator Mark Allen Sison four times but he was not answering his cellular phone. AEC Spokesperson Myra Rivera was in a meeting on Thursday when this journalist called at around 1:30 p.m.
In random interviews with residents and members of various sectors of the community here, most of them said they were not informed of AEC’s increase.
The Malit couple who lives in Barangay Lourdes North West said their electric bill has increased from P1,200 to more than P2,400.
“Sobrang laki naman ng increase, hindi naman kami ininform na magtataas sila at bakit kailangang magtaas. Maaring may ibang agenda sila kung bakit sila nagtataas. Malapit na kasi ang eleksyon,” the couple said.
At least four families who live in Barangay Virgen Delos Remedios told Punto that AEC should explain in detail the charges in the electric bill.
“Ano ba yung metering charge, supply charge? Tapos may lifeline rate subsidy pa. Ano ito, parang Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” they said.
They added that other charges like taxes also confuse them. “May generation VAT, distribution VAT, system loss VAT, at local franchise tax VAT, eh hindi naman pinaiintindi sa mga consumers yan kaya makakapag-isip ka na ginagamit sa ibang bagay. Ni hindi ka man nga mabigyan kahit konting konsiderasyon kapag madi-delay ka sa pagbayad.”
MEDIA ASKED
TO HELP
Most of the residents interviewed have repeatedly asked the media to report AEC’s failure to explain the power rates increase. “Ot eyula i-dyaryu bro, ena istu ing gagawan dang iyan (why don’t you report this in your paper, what they are doing is not right anymore).”
Others are also planning to go to other media outfit like radio and television to air their grievances.
LEGAL BATTLE
Earlier, a group of grocery store owners told Punto that their mother organization is contemplating of filing charges in court against AEC.
“There are two cases being considered against AEC. First, we will question the legality of the power rates increase that did not pass any public hearing.
The second is a damage suit for the all our losses due to those frequent and unannounced brown-outs,” said a supermarket owner who also spoke on condition of anonymity.
POWER FIRM ANSWERS
AEC Customer Service Relations Manager Myra Rivera earlier said in a press statement that the increase in electricity rates is attributable entirely to the increase in the generation cost.
It is a charge that is passed on to consumers from generation companies and power suppliers and is adjusted on a monthly basis based on the actual costs of generating electricity.
“The AEC does not deny that the cost of electricity has risen over the last three months,” she said.
Rivera explained that the application of the NPC increase differs from one utility to another because of the time-of-use (TOU) rates being implemented by the NPC, wherein the cost of electricity for day time use (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) is more expensive than the night time rates.
“Unfortunately, for highly urbanized cities like Angeles City, where consumption peaks in the daytime due to increased economic activities, it means that generation costs are more expensive,” Rivera said.
Knowing that AEC is a Nepomuceno-owned power firm, residents here alleged that the “huge increase will be used for the campaign of incumbent mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno” in the 2010 elections.
In a text message, a businessman in Barangay Agapito Del Rosario who refused to be named said: “Manipun ne yatang pondu ing mayor para keng 2010 election.. karakal da deng residents keng Angeles, balang bale atin lang kuryenti… (It seems the mayor is already saving funds for the 2010 elections..there are too many residents in Angeles, each household has electricity…).”
Jake C. (not his real name) said that the mayor may have knowledge of this, “or he could possibly be the mastermind.”
He also said their average monthly electric bill is at less than P2,000. “It’s even lesser, but in the past three months, it went up to as high as P2,925.00.”
Punto tried to reach City Administrator Mark Allen Sison four times but he was not answering his cellular phone. AEC Spokesperson Myra Rivera was in a meeting on Thursday when this journalist called at around 1:30 p.m.
In random interviews with residents and members of various sectors of the community here, most of them said they were not informed of AEC’s increase.
The Malit couple who lives in Barangay Lourdes North West said their electric bill has increased from P1,200 to more than P2,400.
“Sobrang laki naman ng increase, hindi naman kami ininform na magtataas sila at bakit kailangang magtaas. Maaring may ibang agenda sila kung bakit sila nagtataas. Malapit na kasi ang eleksyon,” the couple said.
At least four families who live in Barangay Virgen Delos Remedios told Punto that AEC should explain in detail the charges in the electric bill.
“Ano ba yung metering charge, supply charge? Tapos may lifeline rate subsidy pa. Ano ito, parang Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” they said.
They added that other charges like taxes also confuse them. “May generation VAT, distribution VAT, system loss VAT, at local franchise tax VAT, eh hindi naman pinaiintindi sa mga consumers yan kaya makakapag-isip ka na ginagamit sa ibang bagay. Ni hindi ka man nga mabigyan kahit konting konsiderasyon kapag madi-delay ka sa pagbayad.”
MEDIA ASKED
TO HELP
Most of the residents interviewed have repeatedly asked the media to report AEC’s failure to explain the power rates increase. “Ot eyula i-dyaryu bro, ena istu ing gagawan dang iyan (why don’t you report this in your paper, what they are doing is not right anymore).”
Others are also planning to go to other media outfit like radio and television to air their grievances.
LEGAL BATTLE
Earlier, a group of grocery store owners told Punto that their mother organization is contemplating of filing charges in court against AEC.
“There are two cases being considered against AEC. First, we will question the legality of the power rates increase that did not pass any public hearing.
The second is a damage suit for the all our losses due to those frequent and unannounced brown-outs,” said a supermarket owner who also spoke on condition of anonymity.
POWER FIRM ANSWERS
AEC Customer Service Relations Manager Myra Rivera earlier said in a press statement that the increase in electricity rates is attributable entirely to the increase in the generation cost.
It is a charge that is passed on to consumers from generation companies and power suppliers and is adjusted on a monthly basis based on the actual costs of generating electricity.
“The AEC does not deny that the cost of electricity has risen over the last three months,” she said.
Rivera explained that the application of the NPC increase differs from one utility to another because of the time-of-use (TOU) rates being implemented by the NPC, wherein the cost of electricity for day time use (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) is more expensive than the night time rates.
“Unfortunately, for highly urbanized cities like Angeles City, where consumption peaks in the daytime due to increased economic activities, it means that generation costs are more expensive,” Rivera said.
