DOE Imparts To Consumers Effective Energy-Saving Tips

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As part of its mandate to inform and educate the public, the Department of Energy (DOE) released another set of energy efficiency and conservation tips with distinct focus on the consumer.

‎DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi strongly emphasized the importance of these measures, especially with the impending Malampaya Scheduled Maintenance Shutdown‎ by the end of the month.

Secretary Cusi explained, “Demand-side management is one of the measures that we are encouraging our consumers to practice. By doing this, our energy consumption is made more efficient and economical, with the beneficial effect ultimately reflected and felt through our electric bills.”

“When energy-efficiency becomes second-nature to us, we are able to cushion whatever impact may be caused by spikes in the cost of electricity. For example, despite the upcoming Malampaya maintenance activities this end of the month, we can still be able to lower our electricity bills with ease,” added the Secretary.

“These are consumer-friendly tips, very simple and very doable,” Sec. Cusi assured.

The appliance-focused and consumer-managed energy-saving tips have been developed by the DOE, through its Energy Utilization Management Bureau (EUMB).

The DOE-EUMB regularly shares energy-saving tips to the public via the DOE’s social media accounts (Facebook @doe.gov.ph, Twitter @doe_ph and Instagram @DOE_PH) and its energy efficiency website - www.wattmatters.org.ph. These tips primarily aim‎ to help Filipino energy consumers manage their electricity consumption.

The Malampaya Scheduled Maintenance Shutdown will take place on 28 January-16 February. It will affect the generation of electricity of the natural gas power plants in Batangas, which serve both the islands of Luzon and Visayas.

To ensure sufficient power supply, the DOE has required the affected natural gas power plants to run on alternative or replacement fuel, which is more expensive than natural gas.

According to Sec. Cusi,"Natural gas as fuel only costs around P4/kilowatt-hour. Whereas, replacement fuel, such as diesel, costs around P6-P8/kWh."

"These energy-saving tips not only guarantee reduction in power consumption to spare the public from unwarranted price increases, but most importantly helps us to maintain and balance the power supply in the grid, thus avoiding supply deficiency,” ‎Sec. Cusi concluded.