BACOLOD CITY, April 23 -- Average residential power rates of the three distribution utilities in Negros Occidental increased this month due to higher price in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), the venue for trading electricity in the country.

The Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) reported an upward adjustment of PHP2.5709 per kilowatt hour (kWh), from PHP11.9965 in March to PHP14.5674 in April.

"The increase is due to the PHP2.4557 increase in the price of electricity from the WESM," its management said in statement on Tuesday.

Noneco serves the localities in the northern part of the province from E.B. Magalona town down to San Carlos City.

In this city, the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) said the...