The Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) on Thursday said it is investigating a recent discovery that some 600 member-consumers are not registered with its system.
In a press conference at the INEC main office in Dingras town, acting general manager Cipriano Martinez said these unregistered consumers are seen as the main reason for the huge systems loss charges being shouldered by registered consumers.
“Whether it is intentional or not, we really need to correct that,” Martinez said.
He said INEC member-consumers are paying about PHP10 million per month collectively due to systems loss charges.
Systems loss refers to unbilled electricity or electricity lost due to pilferage or through the transmission and distribution process.
“This (systems loss) accounts to an estimated 10 percent of the total electric bill of consumers,” Martinez said.
Of the estimated 10 percent systems loss, about 6 percent can be attributed to technical and the remaining 4 percent to non-technical.
“We are investigating this and the bleeding has to stop,” he said.
Martinez said the utility’s management is currently implementing measures to reduce system loss charges.
INEC, which is under new management, is Ilocos Norte’s lone power distribution utility.
In the past two weeks, a house-to-house survey among its 185,000 member-consumer-owners was conducted to ensure that they are all accounted for.
The conduct of the survey stemmed from the order of the Bureau of the Internal Revenue for INEC to update its records, including the registration of its meter gadgets, to determine its right taxable income.
By Leilanie Adriano(PNA)