Guide

Home charging costs: Meralco, VECO & Davao Light explained

Your distribution utility sets the price of every kilometre you drive electric. Here's how the major ones compare and how to find your true rate.

Updated 2026 · Reading time ~3 minutes

Fuel prices are the same at every Shell in the country on a given day, but electricity is different: what you pay per kilowatt-hour depends on which utility serves your area. For EV owners that means charging cost is genuinely local.

The three we track

The differences look small, but over a year of daily charging they add up. On a 50 km-a-day habit, the gap between the highest and lowest of these rates is a few hundred pesos a month — real money, though still a rounding error next to fuel.

Why the rate moves every month

Your bill isn't a single fixed price. It bundles generation, transmission, distribution, taxes and monthly pass-through charges that rise and fall with fuel costs and demand. That's why we say "~14.78" rather than a fixed figure — the headline residential rate drifts month to month. For a charging estimate, last month's rate is close enough.

How to find your real rate

Grab your latest electricity bill and divide the total amount by the kWh consumed that month. That "all-in" rate — including every charge and tax — is the most honest number to plug into a charging calculation, because it's what an extra kWh actually costs you.

Ways to pay even less

• Charge at home, overnight. Home AC charging is the cheapest option; public DC fast charging costs more per kWh.
• Solar. If you have rooftop panels, daytime charging can push your effective rate far below grid prices.
• Efficient driving. Smooth acceleration and moderate aircon use stretch each kWh further, exactly like hypermiling a petrol car.