DOE assures stable power supply

The Department of Energy (DOE) yesterday assured enough power supply for the Visayas in time for the Christmas and New Year holidays when the demand is usually expected to surge.

DOE-7 information officer Lou Arciaga said that based on the agency’s power outlook yesterday, the daily consumption in the Visayas was pegged at around 1,847 megawatts while the available power supply stood at 2,412 megawatts, leaving a net reserve of 565 megawatts.

According to Arciaga, this was already a “safe and comfortable” level.

Arciaga, who graced the celebration of the National Energy Consciousness Month in Cebu yesterday, also warned the public against the use of defective Christmas lights and LPGfilled butane canisters.

She encouraged consumers to buy branded Christmas lights with yellow labels indicating efficiency levels. The higher the number, the more efficient the lights are, she said.

“Mas mahal pero mas makabarato ka in the long run,” she explained.

Arciaga also urged consumers not to patronize refilled butane canisters since these containers are designed for one-time use only. A small leak on the can, she said, may cause explosion and harm people.

“Wala’y mamaligya kung wala’y mamalit,” she said.

At present, Presidential Decree 1865 regulates the distribution of butane cans in the country.

Energy officials are hoping, though, that legislators can pass during this congress the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Bill and make its passage “urgent.”