MANILA – Filipinos expect higher temperature in the coming months, which also means higher demand for power and rising electricity bills.
Although the Department of Energy (DOE) said its action plan to block the possibility of an extremely tight power supply in early-summer was successful, consumers’ participation in saving energy will be helpful to prevent the red alert condition and power outages during summer.
Part of DOE’s action plan is the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program, in which nearly 360 megawatts of power can be saved from the grid when consumers use electricity efficiently.
Here are some tips from the DOE to conserve electricity and also save some cash from high electricity bills:
1. Regularly maintain air-conditioners.
By regularly cleaning the filters and condensers of a one horsepower conventional air-con unit, you will save PHP100 monthly.
2. Turn off the lights when not needed.
Turning off one light bulb for six hours will save you PHP25 a month.
3. Use LED lights.
Convert your lighting system from compact fluorescent light to light-emitting diode or LED as it saves as much as 50 percent of energy.
4. Unplug unused electric appliances.
Leaving unused electric appliances on standby still consumes energy. For example, a cathode-ray tube television and its digital box on standby mode still consume 16 watts, which is equivalent to PHP57.60 wasted electricity in a month.
5. Clean your fridge and avoid opening it longer than necessary.
Do not open the refrigerator for a longer time since refrigerator door opening accounts for seven percent of the consumption assuming you open the fridge door 42 times in a day.
Consumers also share how they use electricity during summer.
For 27-year-old Emerolf Felix, he also takes advantage of the sunny weather by hanging clothes under the sun than running a cycle in the dryer to dry them.
“To save electricity during summer, use one air-conditioner unit only instead of several electric fans. As much as possible, stay in only one place to avoid the use of several appliances,” Farrah Marie Tenegra, 24, said.
She likewise exploits the sunlight to save electricity by using it to light the room instead of turning on the light bulbs during daytime.
Gloria Maghuyop, 52, now uses LED lighting system in their house. Their family also turns off all the lights when they are sleeping in the evening.
On the other hand, Rachel Santos, 27, maintains her energy usage be it summer or not.
“I don’t really conserve energy during summer just because it’s summer. I don’t have a lot of appliances at home. I rarely use lights during daytime. Even electric fan or air-con, I don’t use them when I’m alone,” she said.
DOE Energy Utilization Management Bureau Director Patrick Aquino said the department is actively promoting the Republic Act 11825, or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act.
Source: www.pna.gov.ph