Electric cooperatives (ECs) registered a slight increase in energy sales of 3 percent during the first three months of 2020, latest data of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) showed.
Data from the NEA Informational Technology and Communication Services Department (ITCSD) revealed that for the first quarter, total energy sales of the ECs increased to 5,338 GWh from 5,162 GWh in the same period in 2019.
While electricity sales increased, the revenues of the ECs declined.
While electricity sales increased, the revenues of the ECs declined. Total gross revenue of the ECs in the first quarter was P49.672 billion, a slight drop of 1.5 percent from the P50.413 billion recorded by the ECs last year.
Meanwhile, the electric cooperatives posted an average of 10.13 percent in system loss in the first three months of this year, a reduction of 0.41 percent from the 10.54 percent recorded in the same period in 2019.
The average system loss registered is 1.87 percent lower than the 12-percent cap prescribed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for the ECs, which can be recovered and charged to electricity consumers.
NEA ITCSD data also showed that 95 ECs posted a system loss that is still within the mandated cap. Of which, 51 ECs registered single-digit system loss.
The average system loss registered is 1.87 percent lower than the 12% cap prescribed by the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Single-digit system loss was recorded in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), MIMAROPA, Regions I, III, VI, VII, VIII, X, XII and CARAGA.
The ECs in Region VII (Central Visayas) registered the lowest average system loss at 6.55 percent, followed by the ECs in CAR at 7.21 percent, Region XII at 7.99 percent, and Region X at 8.02 percent.
NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong welcomed this development as he urged the power cooperatives to continuously strive towards improving their operations, and bring down their distribution system losses further.