Davao Light Urges Consumers to Manage Electricity Consumption Amid Price Surge

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 6 August 2026) — The Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) has advised consumers to “manage their consumption” while waiting for power supply to “normalize” by September. This advisory comes as electricity rates have seen a significant increase for the second consecutive billing period. Fermin Edillon, spokesperson for DLPC, told reporters during a press conference that residents should closely monitor their power consumption instead of focusing solely on the electricity rates being imposed. He noted that DLPC recently implemented rate increases, from ₱10.35 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) during the June 11 to July 10 billing period, to ₱13.09 for the July 11 to August 10 period. In a statement on June 1, the Department of Energy (DOE) had said that the “Mindanao grid … remains in a healthy operating condition with actual supply exceeding 3,370 MW against a demand of 2,775 MW.” This surplus had enabled Mindanao to provide power to the Visayas. Edillon clarified that while DLPC is expanding its service to areas in the Davao Region beyond Davao City, this expansion is not the reason for the increase in power rates. He pointed out that power rates through the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) in Mindanao have also increased. WESM is where electricity is traded by power generators, transmission, and distribution companies. Edillon also noted that several earthquakes have rocked Mindanao in recent months, which he said caused “outages” of some power plants. These factors, he explained, contribute to the current rate adjustments. He advised consumers to manage their consumption and adjust appliance usage based on weather, stating that “anything that produces heat or cooling consumes high electricity.” For example, he suggested taking advantage of cloudy weather to reduce air conditioner usage. When asked about the possible rate for the next billing cycle, Edillon said they could not provide an answer yet as they are “still on the process of computing” it. “We’re hoping that our rates will decrease,” he added. Information Source: MindaNews Philippines (GN)