DAVAO CITY—The Aboitiz-owned Davao Light and Power Co., Inc. (Davao Light) announced a decrease in electricity bill in the March 12 to April 10 period due to lower rates at the wholesale electricity market.
However, it warned residential customers that their bill in the summer months may see an uptick due to hot weather and a likely increase in household energy consumption.
On Friday, the distribution company said the overall power rate was down to P8.9975 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from P9.2570 last month.
The company said the P0.2595/kWh decrease in power rate was due to reduced generation rates brought about by decreased power supply prices from the Philippine Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) in Mindanao and coal prices from the world market.
It said a typical household with an average monthly electricity consumption of 200 kWh will experience a drop of P51.90 compared to their February billing.
However, it warned customers of possible high electricity consumption, “especially since El Niño is here.”
It said the latest climate monitoring of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) shows the ongoing El Niño to likely persist in the summer months.
“The lower power rate is a positive development for our customers following slight rate increases in the past two months,” said Fermin Edillon, head of Davao Light Reputation Enhancement Department. “Even with the decreased rate, our customers may still incur high electricity bills if power usage is not well managed. We encourage them to effectively manage their consumption to avoid high electricity bills.”
It is important to note that monthly bills are affected by two factors—rates and consumption, he added.
Power rates as seen in Davao Light’s unbundled monthly bills are divided into four major components: Generation and Transmission, Distribution, Subsidies and Other Charges, and Government Charges and Taxes. Generation and transmission charges are pass-through charges that the distribution utility collects and pays to power suppliers and the transmission operator, respectively. Meanwhile, the distribution charge that goes to Davao Light, and approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has not increased since 2013.
Since power rates are uncontrollable, he said, “Davao Light customers can still manage their electricity bills by focusing on their consumption.”
“They can conserve energy by lessening the number of hours or days used for a particular appliance. Moreover, with hotter days come the frequent and longer use of cooling appliances. Davao Light advises customers to open doors and windows or use electric fans with lower consumption than air conditioners,” he added.
“March is Fire Prevention Month. It is equally important to apply electrical safety measures alongside energy conservation, as it will benefit our family and community,” Edillon said.