Pinoys urged to conserve electricity

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s largest electric power distribution company, and the Department of Energy (DOE) have enjoined the public to observe energy efficiency practices this summer and make it a way of life to save on electricity costs.

Patrick Aquino, DOE energy utilization management bureau director, said energy efficiency is the “best energy-saving device” and customers have the power to control their consumption.

“Energy efficiency is our first fuel. It is our first line of defense,” Aquino said.

He said demand-side management could also contribute in ensuring sufficient and continuous supply for other electricity consumers.

“When we are able to effectively manage our demand, we are able to reduce our requirements for (power) generation,” he said.

Meralco, for its part, is working closely with the DOE to empower consumers to continuously practice energy efficiency to better manage their electricity consumption, which usually spikes due to increased use of cooling appliances.

“Meralco is one with the government in pushing for energy efficiency and conservation not just during the critical dry season but as a way of living that Filipino consumers can embrace,” said Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco spokesperson and vice president for corporate communications.

This summer, Meralco and the DOE assured the public of their continuous efforts to ensure reliable electricity service and sufficient power supply.

Together, they also urged more companies to join the government’s interruptible load program (ILP) to spare households from power interruptions during instances of red alert or when supply is insufficient to meet the demand.

Recently, Meralco secured the commitment for 56 megawatts (MW) of additional de-loading capacity, and once enrolled, this will expand its ILP capacity to 616 MW from 560 MW currently.

The company said there are currently 117 companies enrolled in the ILP within the Meralco franchise area.

The ILP is an energy demand-side management program through which large-load customers are asked to use their generator sets or reduce their operations, instead of drawing power from the grid.

At the same time, the DOE has discouraged generation plants from scheduling outages and testing units during the dry season.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has issued an El Niño alert, noting that there is an 80-percent probability that this will start as early as June and persist until the first quarter of 2024.