DAVAO Light and Power Co., Inc. (Davao Light) has raised its total household power rate from P8.4475/kWh in October to P9.1101/kWh in November, a P0.6626 increase due to higher power supply costs from the Philippine Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) in Mindanao, where Davao Light sources part of its supply.
In a statement posted on November 14, Davao Light noted that monthly power rate adjustments are expected due to market volatility.
“Davao Light reiterates that market prices are volatile thus changes in the power rates are expected every month. Since rates are uncontrollable, Davao Light customers can still have control over their electricity bills by focusing on their consumption,” the company said, advising consumers to regulate their energy use effectively to avoid high costs.
The utility also cautioned that electricity consumption is likely to increase during the holiday season due to higher demand for lighting, appliances, and other holiday activities. To manage costs, Davao Light recommended using non-electric decorations like parols and solar-powered or battery-operated lights.
In October, residential rates dropped by P1.0277/kWh after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) mandated staggered payments for WESM's May 2024 billing, evenly distributed from June to September. DEF
