I’m sure all of you by now have seen (and hopefully paid) your November electricity bill. Apart from it, a flyer is also included with an advisory about the electricity rate increase. Honestly, I am one who is not tedious when it comes to checking our electricity consumption. As long as I know we are on the right track and is not over budget every month, I’m good. Usually, an advisory such as this just slips my hand for a moment without even being fully understood, but when it states that the electricity rate will shoot up for as high as 2 pesos per kWh in the next coming months, that’s a different story.
Mga mudrabells! Tataas na naman ang kuryente!
And one way or another, we always blame Meralco for it. But the truth is, upon seeing the graphic explanation as seen in the photo above, Meralco didn’t even had an increase. It’s the generation, transmission, taxes, subsidy and system loss that increased their rates. With a total of 1.24 pesos per kilowatt-hour. Ay, mataas nga. It used to be below one pesos before as far as I remember. Now, according to the news, it may even shoot up to more than 2 pesos. Aray. To help you understand, here’s Meralco’s advisory for November 2013.
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Given this advisory and Christmas fast approaching, I’m sure all of us are wearing a tight belt. We aren’t the frugal type who would sparingly use electricity especially when ours and our kids’ comfort are compromised. But if you’re on a budget, it helps to know how to manage your electricity consumption and to efficiently use energy, don’t you think?
So here I am sharing you some energy and safety tips I’ve learned during the SoMoms’ intimate lunch with Meralco.
Always switch off any appliance when not in use. Those that you don’t use often and everyday, unplug them as they still consume energy even if they’re turned off.
Power boards help regulate the flow of electricity. If you’re planning on using an extension, use a power board instead.
No lights in our home the moment we go to bed and only use them night time the next day. Lucky for us because our house is somewhat well ventilated, we get to utilise natural light aka Mr. Sun almost all the time.
We are still in the process of transitioning all our lights to incandescent bulbs. But I think the process will speed up, upon learning about its energy savings.
We always use our air conditioner even at day time. My kids tend to break a sweat even if they’re just sitting (read: pawisin talaga) so these tips are very practical for me.
Here’s a cool tip: If you plan on buying an air conditioner, check the yellow tag. The higher the EER (Energy Efficient Ratio) the more energy efficient the air conditioner is.
If you don’t have a budget for solar screens or panels, the best thing to it is to seal cracks and openings on window sills or doors. Seal the gaps in between your air conditioner window, because the more open and big the space is, the more energy is used.
I didn’t know front-load washing machines are more efficient that top-loads. Thank God we have the former!
Another tip: When buying refrigerators, also check the yellow tag. The higher the EEF (Energy Efficient Factor) is, the lower the consumption of energy. It’s more efficient and it cost less.
If you can connect directly to a socket, better or else use a power board or a voltage regulator instead.
I know most husbands want to channel the inner Handy Manny in them but please when one or all of these incidents happen and you are uncertain of what to do, call a qualified electrician instead. You don’t want to risk repairing something especially if there’s electricity involved.
Always wash your filters. If you can once a week, better. With the pollution we have here in the metro, cleaning filters regularly is a must. You can also have your air conditioner serviced once a month. They’ll clean it and check for defects for a more efficient usage.
If you like decorating and filling your house with Christmas lights, please, please, please be careful and buy from a reputable seller. I’ve heard and know so many horror stories of how Christmas lights caused fire at homes, damaging properties and losing lives.
You can also download Meralco MOVE (MeralcO Virtual Engine) App (available for android and iOs). This app is so useful in tracking your electricity bill among the other features.
You can locate a Meralco office in your chosen city, manage your bills, calculate your energy consumption and learn energy tips with this Meralco app.
Log in to check your bill and find the nearest Bayad Center.
A rough estimate of your energy consumption.
Find tips through the Bright Ideas tab.
I hope these tips will help you efficiently use energy and fully maximize the potential of your appliances.
Visit www.meralco.com.ph for updates. Like Meralco on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
The SoMoms with the Meralco team. Thank you for having us, we’ve learned so much when it comes to safety and energy efficiency. Now I suddenly want to change all our appliances to inverters and our lights to LED.
Don’t forget to join my GIVEAWAYS!
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