Rates are climbing again in Davao
Davao Light and Power Company has set the overall residential rate at ₱13.24 per kWh for the September 11 – October 10, 2026 billing period, up ₱0.34 from the previous month's ₱12.90. The utility cites higher Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) prices amid tight power supply conditions in the Mindanao grid, particularly during hours of high demand.
Southern Mindanao households have watched the residential rate climb from ₱9.71/kWh in December 2025 to ₱13.24/kWh today — a 36% increase in under a year.
How the rate has moved
| Billing period | Residential rate (₱/kWh) |
|---|---|
| December 2025 | 9.71 |
| July 11 – Aug 10, 2026 | 13.09 |
| Aug 11 – Sep 10, 2026 | 12.90 |
| Sep 11 – Oct 10, 2026 | 13.24 |
For a home consuming 400 kWh a month, the gap between the December 2025 rate and today's rate is roughly ₱1,400 every single month — before other bill components.
What's driving the increase
- Tight Mindanao supply, high demand. Spot-market prices spike when available generation can't comfortably cover peak demand. Fifteen plants were unavailable in September alone.
- Earthquake aftershocks on the grid. Several generating facilities in Southern Mindanao were affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the region on June 8, 2026, further tightening supply.
- Pass-through generation costs. Generation charges are pass-through costs under the EPIRA law — when the spot market gets expensive, customer bills follow.
Relief in the pipeline
The Energy Regulatory Commission directed a regional Secondary Price Cap for the Visayas and Mindanao grids, retroactive to August 2026, and ordered market settlements recalculated to reflect it. Davao Light also secured ERC approval to defer part of its generation charges, collecting them in installments instead of one bill spike.
The way out: produce your own power
Every peso of solar you self-consume is a peso you never buy at ₱13.24/kWh. A SuperSafe hybrid system sized to your daytime load shields you from WESM swings — and the LiFePO4 battery covers the expensive evening peak while solar sleeps. Book a free load audit with a verified BIZPRO representative.
Sources: [Edge Davao](https://edgedavao.net/the-big-news/2026/09/davao-light-power-rate-rises-to-p13-24-per-kwh-amid-tight-mindanao-supply/), [SunStar Davao](https://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/davao-light-rate-increases-to-p1309kwh-for-july), [Mindanao Times](http://www.mindanaotimes.com.ph/tag/wholesale-electricity-spot-market/)