With temperatures at all time highs, Filipinos have been consuming more electricity day after day. This increased energy consumption puts a great strain on our energy supply leading to outages.No doubt, we need a plan to avoid an energy crisis.
The solution, according to the Department of Energy (DOE), is to use energy judiciously and efficiently to avoid overusing our energy sources.
Taking the lead in decreasing power consumption, the government is pushing for the implementation of its Government Enercon Program (GEMP). The GEMP directs government agencies to lessen their electricity consumption by 10%. By doing so, the government expects a saving of roughly P550 million.
Following Administrative Order No. 15 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on 16 January 2024, which mandates government agencies to streamline their energy consumption, here are the energy conservation measures that were implemented:
- Adapting flexible work arrangements (implemented by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and Metro Manila Council (MMC))
- Setting the thermostat of office air-conditioning units to 24 degrees
- Limiting air-conditioner use to the hours of 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Regular maintenance of air-conditioning units
- Lessening use of elevators by taking the stairs, and
- Turning off lights and computers during lunch breaks
Additionally, the government is promoting the participation of the private sector in the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) in Luzon. In this program, high-energy-consumption businesses such as malls, large business establishments, and factories will voluntarily switch to using their own power generation sets when the DOE issues a red alert notice. A red alert notice means that power interruption is imminent and there is a need to ration power supply. By switching to power generation sets, businesses that use a lot of power can stop drawing energy from the national grid.
The public is also encouraged to lessen their consumption and practice energy conservation. They can do this by:
- Turning off lights when these are not needed
- Unplugging appliances when not in use
- Drawing blinds and curtains to prevent sunlight coming in, and
- Avoiding the use of high-energy-consuming devices
With the government at the helm of energy conservation, it is expected that the private and public sectors won’t be far behind. After all, it takes a collective effort to address the need for uninterrupted energy supply. Ultimately, the responsibility of energy management rests with every citizen and resident of the country. Working together, we can look forward to a stable supply of energy for all our needs.
Source: Government Leading Enercon Measures Amid Rising Peak Demand
