An official of the Davao Light and Power Company bared on Wednesday that they have put in place contingency plans for the impending dry spell by balancing the use of renewable and non-renewable energy.
“Naa nami contingency plans na ginabuhat para ana and we are hoping na dili gyud ta muabot sa panahon nga parehas atong nag rotational brownouts ta,” said Fermin Edillon, head of the Davao Light Reputation Enhancement Department during the yearend AFP PNP Press Corps media briefing at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) on Wednesday.
Edillon explained that they cannot totally rely on renewable energy alone because if there is an El Niño, their suppliers who are using the hydropower will mostly be affected.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has released its most recent prognosis, which suggests that the potential dry spells and drought caused by El Niño might peak in April or May next year.
“Again kinahanglan balansehon tanan. Also kung balansehon nimo dinha pud nato makita ang atoang, kay naa man gud impact sa rates either renewable or non-renewable imong kuhaon. Kinahanglan balansehon nato ug tarong na tanan maka benefit sa measures nga gamiton,” he said.
Meanwhile, Davao Light has lowered its power rate from P9.12 to P8.74 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) this December.
From P9.12 in November, the overall residential power rate is down to P8.74 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) this month. For households with an average monthly electricity consumption of 200 kWh, a reduction of P76.34 will be experienced.
This rate applies to bills received from December 12, 2023, to January 10, 2024.
The decrease in electricity bills is also due to the decrease in the pricing of power supply from the Philippine Wholesale Energy Spot Market (WESM) in Mindanao and the global market.
“In November, we are at P9.12 centavos but this month of December we are at P8.78 centavos. Roughly there is a decrease of P.38 centavos. If you translate it to kilowatt-hour consumption you have a reduction of around P76,” said Edillon.
Yet, Davao Light advised customers to monitor their power usage especially at this time of year when individuals are spending more time at home and using electric appliances and electronics.
“We couldn’t stress enough, how important it is to manage energy consumption even with the low rate. Power rates are affected by unpredictable market prices, so changes in rates are expected every month. It could decrease this month then it could increase the next,” Mr. Edillon said.
On the other hand, Edillon assured that there is enough supply of power as Davao Light has a direct contract with some major power suppliers in Mindanao both in renewable and non-renewable energy.
The Aboitiz Power Corp. subsidiary started buying power through WESM in January.
