Higher power rates loom for Davao Light consumers

Source: MindaNews

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 10 May) - Consumers of Davao Light and Power Company are now worried about a possible increase in their electricity bills owing to the El Niño phenomenon.

Based on the recent April 2024 rates, Davao Light charges residential units at P9.1354 per kilowatt hour (kWh), or P1,827.08 for a household with an average monthly consumption at 200 kWh.

Davao Light reportedly will increase its rates this month due to the high demand for electricity and the current "low generation" by Mindanao's hydropower plants.

Gina Alonto, a homemaker, said she expects a higher electricity bill, as they have been using four electric fans just to cope with the heat these past few weeks.

"High heat index is terrible, worse than what the sciences would tell us, and we can't help but to use our electric fans simultaneously just to cope. What else can we do?" Alonto told MindaNews.

Son-son Maitum, a carinderia owner in Panacan, said he has to use wood rather than electric stoves to save on electricity. He would even let their customers use their "pamaypay" or wooden handmade fans if they requested it.

"Despite our savings, we worry that electricity prices will increase. It might be normal during the dry season but considering the food ingredients, water bill, and other essential needs increase prices, too, it's awful," he said.

Households and businesses are expected to use more electricity during the dry season, thus increasing the demand for electricity as well, said Fermin Edillon, Davao Light reputation enhancement manager.

He said the demand in February 2024 was 432 megawatts, then it increased in March to 479 megawatts, and by April, surged to 536 megawatts.

He urged consumers to conserve energy amid the El Niño phenomenon so that the demand for power as well as the individual bills would not increase.

Edillon said a possible high electricity bill means two things - "high consumption of electricity or high demand for electricity, resulting in high power rates." It could be both with the ongoing dry season, he added.

"Anything that produces heat, or anything that you convert heat to cool down, anything that has a motor, it really consumes electricity," he said.

As of May 9, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) recorded Mindanao's available electric generating capacity at 3,126 megawatts, while the electricity demand is at 2,510 megawatts.

Back on April 24, NGCP put Mindanao on yellow alert due to the electricity demand exceeding the available electric generating capacity between the timeframe.

NGCP lifted the alert at 3:06 pm, after nine power plants were forced to shut down while five ran on "derated capacities."

"A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid's contingency requirement," the agency said. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)