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Meralco power rates down for the third month in a row

For the third month, Meralco power rates are down by PHP 0.11 per kiloWatthour (kWh). That’s a total reduction of around PHP 0.57 per kWh since May 2019.

For a typical household that consumes 200 kWh per month, Meralco says that equates to savings of PHP 21 per month. For households that consume 300 kWh, 400 kWh, and 500 kWh, expect savings of around PHP 31.50, PHP 42, and PHP 52.50.

Meralco Public Information Office Head Joe Zaldarriaga explained that the over-all rate reduction this month can be attributed to a lower transmission charge, as well as a decrease in other charges.

Meanwhile, my power bill increased during those three month, likely because of an increase in consumption during the summer. Go figure.

What’s 200 kWh?

For those asking what makes up 200 kWh, this article from Inquirer says it equates to around PHP 1,800 to PHP 2,500 per month. Meralco says that’s a typical household with a refrigerator, an electric fan, a flat iron, a TV set, and a radio.

Also Read: Meralco power rates decreased for two consecutive months

If you have more appliances, say an additional TV set, an air conditioner or two, a laptop or computer, and some smartphones and tablets charging here and there, that amount quickly balloons to around PHP 5,000 and up a month.

Save Electricity

Obviously, the best way to lower your electricity bill is to lessen your household consumption. But it bears repeating what you can do to achieve that.

  • Unplug all unused appliances and turn off unneeded lights. This is probably the single most helpful thing to do that most of us are guilty of not doing.
  • Check for phantom loads or vampire draws. These are typically the Standby Power light, leaking electricity used by a closed TV set, computers, and even on voltage regulators and those power strip extension chords with lighted switches.
  • Don’t leave your devices charging overnight. Not only is this bad for your smartphone or tablet, its a waste of electricity as well.
  • Switch to LED lightbulbs. This may be an additional expense, but it may save you more in the long run.

That’s all I have for now. Feel free to add more in the comments below. Remember, a peso saved is a peso earned.

Bryan is a geek at heart and a tech enthusiast by choice. He has a strong background in corporate communications, marketing services, and customer relations having worked in the telecommunications and banking sectors for over two decades. In his spare time, he enjoys watching clips on YouTube and binge watching shows on Netflix.

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