Name one thing that is as vital to life in the Philippines as food, air and water… and that is electricity. Most, if not all households in the country use electricity for their everyday needs. Unfortunately, the cost of electricity in the country is quite prohibitive. In fact, according to a survey conducted last year by the International Energy Consultants (IEC), an Australian-based consulting firm specializing in Asian power markets, the Philippines has the 3rd highest electricity rate in Asia and the 16th highest rate in the world. This means that for the average Filipino, a month’s salary is mainly spent on paying for their monthly electricity consumption, and not much on anything else.
There are however some easy, smart and effective ways of saving electricity in ones home, thereby shaving off a few hundreds and stretch ones income further.
Here are 5 smart and effective ways of saving electricity:
1. Unplug appliances when not in use
Just by unplugging your appliances when not in use considerably lowers your electricity bill by as much as 10-13 percent. This includes computers, mobile chargers, and even television sets. Since most TVs are now in high-definition, this consumes even more electricity. This translates to a savings of at least P300 per month.
2. Use an extension cord
More for convenience than anything else, the use of an extension cord that has an on and off switch makes it easy to unplug in just one step, avoiding residual power consumption.
3. Keep appliances clean and well-maintained
Well-maintained appliances consume less electricity and give its user many more years of good quality service, thereby giving its user even more savings. Air conditioners, in particular, easily one of the most used appliances at home, needs to be cleaned at least twice a year.
4. Convert all bulbs to LED bulbs
LED bulbs are fast becoming the lighting of choice, as they are now even more affordable, consume the least amount of electricity, and can last for at least ten years or more. Incidentally, a 3W Firefly LED bulb was recently tested by Meralco’s Power Lab and found to only cost P.03 cents per hour! This means that the more LEDs in the home, the bigger the savings. Make sure though to get LEDs with Meralco’s energy efficiency certification (the one with orange tags) because these are the ones already tested and certified as energy-efficient. Some timely news for the impending electricity rate increase… Firefly LED and Meralco had a partnership called the “Firefly LED Rebate Program” where they offered a total of P310,000 Meralco bill rebates to lucky winners. The promo just finished and awarded its very first grand prize winner of P60,000 Meralco bill rebate to Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Malijan from Laguna. What luck! Apparently, they just bought 4 Firefly LEDs and submitted 4 entries and they won! Not only did their electricity bill go down by almost half (from P1,200 to P700), they will also be not paying their electricity bill for the next couple of years, at least.
5. Choose appliances with a high Energy Efficiency Factor (EEF) and certified by Meralco’s Power Lab
With a high Energy Efficiency Factor (EEF) and further certified by Meralco’s Power Lab, consumers are assured of even more savings in the long run.
Keeping in mind these simple tips can definitely go a long way in further stretching ones budget. By planning ahead and by being frugally-smart, it is possible to have a bit more breathing room at the end of each month.
******************
