This paper proposes an efficient differential evolution (DE) algorithm for the solution of the optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) problem. The main objective of ORPD is to minimize the total active power loss with optimal setting of control variables. The continuous control variables are generator bus voltage magnitudes. The discrete control variables are transformer tap settings and reactive power of shunt compensators. In DE algorithm the other form of differential mutation operator is used. It consists to add the global best individual in the differential mutation operator to improve the solution. The DE algorithm solution has been tested on the standard IEEE 30-Bus test system to minimize the total active power loss without and with voltage profile improvement. The results have been compared to the other heuristic methods such as standard genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization method. Finally, simulation results show that this method converges to better solutions.