Cotabato City consumers to see drop in October electricity bill

COTABATO CITY — Power consumers of the Cotabato Light and Power Company (Cotabato Light) in this city and nearby towns of Maguindanao del Norte province will see a decrease in their electricity bill this month.

The Aboitiz-owned power firm announced on Wednesday that the overall residential rate for its consumers dropped by P1.04 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in October, bringing the price down to P7.84 per kWh from P8.88 per kWh last September.

Arlene Valdez-Hepiga, speaking for Cotabato Light, said the cost reduction follows the conclusion of the staggered payment for the May 2024 Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) billing, which was evenly divided from June to September as directed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), and lower WESM rates, which also resulted in reduced generation charge.

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“Even with the rate reduction, Cotabato Light encourages customers to efficiently and wisely manage energy consumption to avoid high electricity bills,” Hepiga said.

The power firm advised consumers to maintain low billing and that households should also regulate their consumption by examining their energy needs and recognizing which appliances are frequently used and have high wattage ratings.

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Cotabato Light is serving consumers in Cotabato City and the towns of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Datu Blah Sinsuat, and Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao del Norte.

Meanwhile, Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abduraof Macacua has asked the Cotabato Light management to cover the whole of Maguindanao del Norte as the current power provider, the Maguindanao Electric Cooperative (Magelco), has been unable to meet the province’s power demand.