Tags: Water Electricity and Utilities
By Lawrence Casiraya
MAKATI CITY, METRO MANILA – These days, it’s not only the oppressing heat that accounts for soaring tempers.
While residents in Metro Manila (and some parts of Luzon) bear with rotating brownouts, along comes news of higher power rates – an additional P1.20 per kilowatt hour to be exact starting April, according to Meralco.
But it’s not yet even halfway April and people are already aghast about their power bills.
In her blog Chuvaness.com, fashion designer Cecille Zamora shared her depression since knowing her monthly bill ended up a whopping P41, 902.95, which is more than double despite efforts to save on electric consumption.
Her post generated numerous comments from readers who also experienced increased Meralco bills, while ruminating on the current state of power (as in electricity/energy, not politics) in the Philippines.
As a point of comparison, Zamora encouraged readers to indicate their location and power consumption. Those who live abroad apparently pay less for power than those in the Philippines – not surprisingly we’re paying for the third most expensive electricity in all of Asia.
It’s a tad convenient to blame it on climate change, on the El Niño phenomenon. But, as Dean dela Paz noted in his blog, there ought to be enough “cranial wattage” in the heads of people managing the country’s power sector.
Hopefully, as the Inquirer article says, the next president will be able to solve this problem made worse by those who have preceded him. Those who have skyrocketing bills are certainly hoping for it as well.
So in these “trying” times, it doesn’t hurt to listen to practical advice on how to save on electricity. Salve Duplito of Money Smarts posted some tips how to bring down your Meralco bill. That was almost three years ago, but it certainly deserves a little bit more attention now.
As I write this, I am awaiting the arrival of our next Meralco bill with some amount of trepidation.
For updates on the rotating brownouts, please check Meralco’s Twitter page and website. Meralco also has tips on how to save electricity for residents and non-residents.
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