Consumers reeling from the rising costs of energy particularly with the imposition of the value added tax on power generation and gasoline may enjoy a reprieve from another round of electricity rate increases, at least temporarily.

This came after the Energy Regulatory Commission indefinitely suspended the petition of the National Transmission Corporation to increase its "wheeling rate", Elmar Agir, of the ERC, and a native of Oriental Negros, said recently.

Agir said the ERC is still reviewing the draft determination of Transco's "wheeling rate" before it will be subjected to public consultations, evidentiary hearings and thorough evaluation.

He said the draft determination will be based on the merits of the petition and the evidences.

"There might still be major adjustments in its final evaluation depending on the documents submitted to the ERC, not only by TransCo, but by other concerned parties," Agir said.

He added that the draft determination was not yet final or a resolution of the application.

It was released, he said, so stakeholders would have to comment on ERC's views before a final determination is made.

Because it was still a draft, he said, it will not affect the rates charged by TransCo on its customers.

Interested parties have until January 20 to comment on the draft determination, Agir said.*RG

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