Caption: Good news! Saw this interesting information on how low our power rates are!
My jowa gifted me with a Wi-Fi enabled device that allows me to monitor the usage of the aircon in the condo. This device allows me to turn it on or off. I do this because there are times my house help forgets to shut down the aircon when the daughter leaves the room and it will run for hours making my electricity bill surge. I am also planning to get more of these device for other household items because my house help have this habit of leaving the fan and tv on even when she goes out for an errand and it’s annoying as hell, plus it’s not helping my electric bill.
Anyway, great news to us consumers! For the second month in a row, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) announced a decrease in power rates for February.
The overall rate for a typical household consuming 200kWh decreased by P0.59 to P8.86 per kilowatt hour (kWh), its lowest level in two years, from last month’s P9.45 per kWh. Such a household will see a decrease of around P118 for their total electricity bill this month.
The reduction is mainly due to a lower generation charge after the implementation of new Power Supply Agreements (PSAs) starting last December 26.
The back-to-back rate decreases to start the year total to P1.00 per kWh and goes against the usual trend of February rates increasing, as seen in the previous five years.
The generation charge for February decreased to P4.51 per kWh thanks to Meralco’s prudent and strategic partnerships with power suppliers and the resulting new PSAs, such as San Miguel Energy Corporation, South Premiere Power Corporation, and AC Energy, who charge a lower generation cost. Charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) were also lower this month.
These lower prices from the new PSAs and the WESM—which accounted for 44% of the total supply—offset the cost of power from Meralco’s Independent Power Producers and old PSAs, which increased to P5.29 per kWh.
With these new PSAs providing lower generation costs, the public can expect consistently low power bills with energy-efficient use of appliances and devices at home, allowing for a bigger budget for other household and family needs.
Energy efficiency tips for customers
As we approach the summer months, Meralco encourages its customers to continue practicing energy efficiency initiatives at home to help manage their electricity consumption, such as:
– Such as unplugging appliances when not in use to avoid “phantom load”
– Using the aircon at mid-setting or at 25 degrees Celsius
– Using a power board or strip which can supply power to several appliances at once
– Maximizing natural light during daytime
– Keeping appliances well-maintained to ensure optimal performance.
As a single working mom who pays all the bills on her own, I practice all sorts of tipid tips just to make it through every billing cycle. Any sorts of tricks to get me saving or cut cost I will try. This 1 peso per kilowatt hour rate decrease is such a welcomed development for mommies like me , it will definitely help loosen the tight budget just a little. Small financial breather helps us a lot.
Caption: Meralco announces P1.00 per kilowatt hour rate decrease from January to February
