Electricity rates in Albay province have increased by more than P2 per kilowatt-hour this June 2024, impacting consumers of the Albay Electric Cooperative (ALECO).
Consumers have expressed concerns about inconsistent power supply from the cooperative, which is attributed to overloading caused by high demand.
"Sobra po kaming apektado po kaan ta an kayod mi po talagang sa pagkaon lang po, sa pamilya, kung dagdag pa po yan sa billing mi po... nagtataas po talaga ngunian an ALECO," Anthony Balin, a consumer, said.
In response, ALECO advised the public to conserve electricity. They said they are working to stabilize their services.
According to ALECO, the increase is due to higher generation rates charged by their energy suppliers.
"Kan nakalihis na Mayo nagpuon su paglangkaw, ngunian igwa naman kitang paglangkaw because saro sa mga nahihiling ming dahilan, aside from nagin-increase an generation rates kan samuyang supplier, of course, due to high heat index," Anj Galero, spokesperson for ALECO, said.