BAGUIO CITY — The collection efficiency and the lowering of system loss of Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) is a result of the power cooperative's campaign against people who are violating the anti-pilferage law in 2023.

The apprehension of some 283 individuals with electric meters modified to steal more electric power while paying with much lower amounts led to collection of unpaid arrears.

Beneco reported that because of the apprehension activities conducted by the Special Equipment and Metering Office (SEMO) personnel in 2023, the cooperative collected P8.5 million unpaid arrears with surcharges, and value added tax (VAT).

There is a P5 million increase compared to the P3 million in 2022.

According to Beneco SEMO supervisor Mario Calatan, the increase mostly came from disconnected accounts owners apprehended due to illegally reconnecting their disconnected meters and subsequently paid the penalties and arrears.

Direct connection, illegal transfer of kilowatt hour meter, illegal reconnection, and illegal installation of kWh meter were the result of apprehensions by the SEMO anti-pilferage apprehension team for 2023.

Because of the intensification of SEMO's apprehension activities, system loss went down from 9.69 percent in 2022 to only 7.57 percent in 2023. "Lesser (single-digit) System Loss will translate to less system loss charge that consumers of electricity will pay," Beneco stated.

According to Beneco, majority of the violators opted to settle with the coop to avoid escalation of their case to the courts, after receipt of BENECO’s demand letter following their apprehension.