The performance of power distribution systems (PDS) has improved greatly in recent times ever since the distributed generation (DG) unit was incorporated in PDS. DG integration effectively cuts down the line power losses (PL) and strengthens the bus voltages (BV) provided the size and place are optimized. Accordingly, in the present work, a hybrid optimization technique is implemented for incorporating a single DG unit into radial PDS. The proposed hybrid method is formed by integrating the active power loss sensitivity (APLS) index and whale optimization meta-heuristic algorithm. The ideal place and size for DG are optimized to minimize total real power losses (TLP) and enhance bus voltages (BV). The applicability of the proposed hybrid technique is analyzed for Type I and Type III DG installation in a balanced IEEE 33-bus and 69-bus radial PDS. Optimal inclusion of type I and III DG in a 33-bus radial test system cut down TLP by 51.85% and 70.02% respectively. Likewise, optimal placement of type I and III DG reduced TLP by 65.18%, and 90.40%, respectively for 69-bus radial PDS. The impact of DG installation on the performance of radial PDS has been analyzed and a comparative study is also presented to examine the sovereignty of the proposed hybrid method. The comparative study report outlined that the proposed hybrid method can be a better choice for solving DG optimization in radial PDS.