CENECO Needs Your Help. Vote YES to JVA to Improve Our Power Service!
Are you satisfied with CENECO’s service?
Have you experienced any of the following?
- Frequent brownouts
- Low voltage in your electricity supply
- Transformers exploding and power poles burning down in your area
- Your electricity coming back the next day
- Power poles that are leaning and being patched up, or power poles that are standing but are rotten inside
- A meter that is covered in dust and has been forgotten about
- A sudden increase in your electricity bill
- Being disconnected from the power supply if you do not pay your bill on time
- Not being able to get through to the CENECO hotline
- A long wait for your application for a connection because they do not have available transformers or meters
If you have, you are not alone. CENECO consumers have been experiencing these problems for years, and it seems to worsen.
This article will discuss the reasons for CENECO’s poor service and what the proposed Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with Primelectric can do to improve it.
Why is CENECO’s service so poor?
There are several reasons for CENECO’s poor service. One reason is that the cooperative has been struggling financially for years. In 2021, CENECO was categorized as Triple-A by the National Electrification Administration (NEA), but it has since been downgraded to Single-A. This means that CENECO is not financially stable and is at risk of bankruptcy.
Another reason for CENECO’s poor service is that the cooperative needs to invest in its infrastructure. CENECO’s power lines and substations are outdated and in need of repair. This is why brownouts and power outages often hit CENECO.
In addition, CENECO has been accused of mismanagement and corruption. In 2018, the cooperative was fined by the ERC for overcharging consumers. CENECO has also been criticized for its slow response to customer complaints.
What can the JVA with Primelectric do to improve CENECO’s service?
The JVA with Primelectric is a proposed partnership between CENECO and a private company called Negros Power Corporation. Under the JVA, Primelectric will provide CENECO with 1.7 billion pesos in cash to pay off its debts and upgrade its infrastructure. This will help to improve CENECO’s service and reduce the frequency of brownouts.
In addition, Primelectric will be responsible for managing CENECO’s operations. This will help to improve efficiency and customer service.
The JVA is also expected to lead to lower electricity rates for consumers. Primelectric has committed to keeping the distribution system and metering charge at P1.18 per kilowatt hour. This is the same rate that CENECO is currently charging.
CENECO Consumers to Get Bill Deposits Back, No Increase in Electricity Rates Under Proposed Joint Venture with Primelectric
CENECO consumers are set to benefit from a proposed joint venture (JVA) with Primelectric. Under the JVA, Primelectric will provide CENECO with 1.7 billion pesos in cash to pay off its debts, including the consumers’ bill deposit fund. If the JVA is approved, consumers will get their bill deposits back.
Even better, the JVA does not involve any loan consumers must repay. The cash Primelectric will provide is payment for the CENECO assets that Primelectric will acquire.
As a result of the JVA, there will be no increase in the distribution system and metering charge for consumers. The charge will remain at P1.18 per kilowatt hour.
Negros Power, the company that will acquire CENECO under the JVA, will be responsible for upgrading and modernizing CENECO’s facilities. This will improve the quality of service, gradually reduce unscheduled brownouts, and make electricity more affordable for consumers.
In short, the JVA is a win-win for CENECO consumers. They will get their bill deposits back, there will be no increase in electricity rates, and they will benefit from improved service and reliability.
The JVA will also save CENECO and help it recover from its financial difficulties. It will also extend CENECO’s franchise for another 25 years through a new franchise that Congress will grant to Negros Power. Under the new franchise, CENECO will have a 30% ownership share.
CENECO member-consumers are encouraged to participate in the Plebiscite on the JVA. A majority of CENECO consumers must vote YES to the JVA for it to be approved.
What can you do to help improve CENECO’s service?
If you are a CENECO consumer, you can help to improve the cooperative’s service by voting YES to the JVA in the upcoming Plebiscite.
If you are already in favor of the JVA but do not have time to vote on the day of the Plebiscite, you can get a proxy. Proxy forms are now available at CENECO JVA booths located at:
- SM City Mall
- Ayala Mall
- Robinsons Mall
- City Mall
- Gaisano Mall
- 888 Mall
- Old and new Bacolod City halls
Here are some of the key benefits if CENECO consumers approve the JVA:
- Get their bill deposits back
- No increase in electricity rates
- Improved service and reliability
- Upgraded and modernized facilities
- Extended franchise
- 30% ownership share in Negros Power
I urge all CENECO consumers to vote YES to the JVA on August 19, 20, 26, 27, and September 2 and 3, 2023.
Primelectric-CENECO JVA is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to improve the quality of our electricity service and make it more affordable.
Let us all work together to make this happen!
Vote YES to JVA!
Learn more about Primelectric-CENECO JVA:
Primelectric to Follow MORE Power’s Lead in Promoting Renewable Energy
Yes to JVA: Why Bacolod needs Primelectric-NEPC (Negros Power)?
How Primelectric-NEPC Can Bring “MORE Power” to Bacolod City
CENECO Bill Deposit Refund: Time to Claim Your Rightful Refund
CENECO-Primelectric JVA: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
