MERALCO BRIGHT IDEAS

Bring the right kind of spin to the rainy season

id you know that you can dry your clothes from soaking wet to barely damp in 5mins for just P0.19?

Laundry is never easy. But it gets more difficult when the rainy season kicks in. Sun-drying becomes impossible when the rain is pouring down, but even when it’s not, clothes take longer to dry up because of the cooler temperatures that the season tends to bring. Air-drying indoors is possible, but this can leave your clothes damp with a musty smell (a.k.a. kulob).

Here’s a Meralco Bright Idea: Use your Spin-dryer.

Contrary to popular belief, using your spin-dryer only costs P0.19 for a 5-minute spin as tested by the Meralco Power Lab. This gets your freshly washed clothes to a barely wet state which you can air-dry indoors without worrying about kulob.

This is only one of several Meralco Bright Ideas that the country’s largest electric distribution utility often shares as part of its energy efficiency education program that aims to empower customers with information so they can make and build brighter habits in consuming energy, ultimately realizing an improved lifestyle.

You can catch more Bright Ideas at the Meralco website: www.meralco.com.ph

Here are more Bright Ideas to help you take the gloom out of the rainy season:

More quandaries on laundry

Not everyone owns a washing machine, but investing in this appliance saves so much time and energy. Surprisingly, these are economical consumers of power and water, as long as they are properly used.

Meralco Bright Idea: Wait until you have a full batch of laundry.

Washing a single item or half loads use the same amount of energy as doing a full load. But overloading is also discouraged. This makes the unit work harder and inefficiently. The sweet spot is at 80% of the washing machine’s capacity to maximize its operation and prevent damaging important clothes and the unit itself.

Meralco Power Lab tests show that a family of three using a 7kg fully automatic washing machine can save P39 to P87 monthly with proper use.

Some like it hot

Rains yet have another consequence — it makes it harder to enjoy baths.

Pinoys use several gadgets to warm their bath water. Among these are electric kettles and dip-type water heaters, both of which are workable in a pinch, but are ultimately problematic. You’ll need 2-3 hot kettles of water to fill up your normal 4-12L to bathe with. Dip-type heaters, on the other hand, are notorious for causing electric shocks because the main conductor is in direct contact with water being heated.

Meralco Bright Idea: Use a shower heater. This produces on-demand hot water within three to five seconds. Models come with variable temperature controls and a flow switch to regulate water pressure. As for safety, they are built to avoid electric leakage and thermal cut-offs to avert scalding. According to Meralco Power Lab, shower heaters are also the most energy efficient and cost effective among the usual bath warming appliances, at just P5.48 per 10 minutes of continuous use (P1.37 per 14L).

Prepping for possible power outages

Another problem usually brought by the rainy season are brownouts. Despite the best designs and intentions, strong winds still cause damage to power lines and electricity posts are often struck by lightning, which account for about 70% of outages on power transmission systems. Rather than being caught unprepared, it is best to anticipate the unpredictable.

Meralco Bright Idea: Keep a power bank handy.

A 10,000 mAh (milliamp hours) power bank only costs P0.15 to charge to 100%. These units are capable of recharging a smartphone up to three times over, providing an additional 25 hours of call time, or 21 hours of web browsing.

Remember, cellphones (and radios, for that matter) are lifelines that keep us connected amid calamities.

Meralco Bright Idea: Consider other rechargeable gadgets. Rechargeable fans that can last up to two to five hours for only P0.87 per max charge. Some models also have built-in LED emergency lights that can operate for 35 to 80 hours.

“Meralco Bright Ideas equip our customers with energy knowledge from rigorous testing of home appliances that they own or are planning to purchase,” said Meralco Power Lab Manager Engr. Joel Sagun.

“That’s why it’s important to have these tips and information on hand. Customers can keep abreast of the latest Bright Ideas by downloading the Meralco Mobile App,” Engr. Sagun said.

The Meralco Mobile App is now updated with its new look, making it easier on the eyes and better for seamless navigation and account management.

Engr. Sagun added that contact details need to be kept up to date so that Meralco can also advise you on your bills and payments.

To get alerts on anything new with Meralco, customers can update their contact details via www.meralco.com.ph, or reach out to Meralco on Messenger or Twitter.

“Rest assured, Meralco helps you prepare, come rain or shine,” he closed.

“Meralco Bright Ideas equip our customers with energy knowledge from rigorous testing of home appliances that they own or are planning to purchase.”