Conserving Electricity at Home

Summertime! After the brief cold weather a few months ago, the summer heat is back with a vengeance. This time, cold drinks are heaven sent and our homes must be kept cool enough for rest and household chores. I’m sure that your electric fans, air conditioner, and refrigerator are working harder nowadays. Even your washing machine is not spared for more laundry, as you’re probably taking more baths now than usual.

Unfortunately, electricity costs are much higher during summer season. That is because of the bigger power demand to run those appliances, while the sources to generate cheap power supply can’t meet the demand. So aside from hydroelectric and geothermal power sources, Meralco has to get more power from IPPs that use the more expensive coal and fossil fuels to generate electricity. The high prices of coal and crude oil in the world market add more pressure on electricity cost.

To reduce your electricity expense at your homes, below are some tips that you might find helpful:

1. Turn off lights when not in use. Use natural light whenever possible.
2. Use compact fluorescent lights (CFL) instead of incandescent bulbs. A 16-watt CFL produces the same light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb at a quarter of the energy cost.
3. Clean bulbs regularly. Dirt lessens illumination by as much as 50%.
4. Unplug mobile phone chargers that are not in use. They still consume at least 10% electrical power even when plugged but not charging a mobile phone.
5. Turn off or unplug appliances that are not in use. Avoid keeping them on standby mode to save 10%-25% of their regular electrical consumption.
6. Place refrigerators at least 4 inches away from the wall so as not to overwork the motor. Keep them away from cooking stoves or oven to increase efficiency.
7. Clean condenser coils of refrigerators using a broom. The coils at the back remove heat.
8. Check door gaskets. Make sure refrigerator doors are sealed tightly to prevent cold air from escaping.
9. Defrost refrigerators regularly. Defrost before frost builds up to 1/4 inch to keep refrigerator running efficiently.
10. If you can manage, avoid using electric water heaters, rice cooker, and electric stove. Using LPG to heat water and cook food items is more efficient and less expensive.
11. When ironing clothes, do it at night or at cooler temperature, to avoid using electric fan while doing it. Wash and iron clothes in big batches. Use the summer heat to dry clothes instead of the machine drier.
12. Avoid running power-hungry appliances at the same time, to reduce power adjustment costs. The more electrical power we consume, the higher rate is being billed to us by Meralco.

Stay Cool!