DAVAO Light’s overall residential electricity rate increased by P1.5625 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), the power distribution utility announced Wednesday.
The residential electricity rate increased to P10.6407/kWh this September, compared from the P9.0782/kWh in August.
The rate applies to the September 11 to October 10 billing period.
“The rate increase is attributed to higher power supply prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) following power plant outages, which is among the factors that led to the yellow alerts issued by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) last month,” Davao Light said in a statement.
It adds that increases in generation costs, particularly from the spot market, directly affect the overall rate charged to consumers.
Davao Light sources part of its power requirement from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.
While it aims to keep electricity costs reasonable, monthly rates are still influenced by factors such as fuel prices, market conditions, and customers’ consumption patterns.
The power distribution utility urged customers to practice energy efficiency and monitor their energy consumption habits at home to help manage monthly bills and avoid bill shock.
Davao Light recommended checking the estimated daily or monthly energy usage for each appliance by determining the appliance wattage, the average number of hours the household uses, the number of days the household uses the appliance in a month, and checking the rates.
To calculate the Kilowatt-Hours (kWh), the formula, (Wattage / 1000) x Hours Used x Days = Total kWh) to calculate the energy consumption for a single appliance. To estimate the cost, the total kWh should be multiplied by the rate.
“Through this method, households can create a clear picture of their energy usage and identify which appliances contribute the most to their bill. This helps make informed choices about where to adjust and conserve energy,” Davao Light stressed.
