Gov’t saves P205M via energy scheme

Small acts and what appears to be minor could indeed drive significant impact, especially when the entire bureaucracy, including local government units and State Universities and Colleges adopt behavioral changes and make energy conservation a way of life

The government has saved P205 million or an equivalent of over 20 million kilowatt-hours of power due to its aggressive drive to adopt energy efficiency and conservation practices across all agencies.

In a report on Tuesday, the Department of Energy said the accelerated implementation of the Government Energy Management Program has been impactful in achieving its sustainability goals.

“We commend the efforts of our government agencies in implementing energy efficiency measures,” Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla said.

“Small acts and what appears to be minor could indeed drive significant impact, especially when the entire bureaucracy, including local government units and State Universities and Colleges adopt behavioral changes and make energy conservation a way of life,” he added.

GEMP implementation

The GEMP implementation is guided by the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee or IAEECC created by Republic Act 11285 or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act.

It aims to reduce the government’s electricity and fuel consumption by at least 10 percent through energy efficiency and conservation or EE&C strategies.

Before the EEC Act, the government’s cumulative electricity savings stood at 5 million kWh, equivalent to over P51 million. As of the first quarter of 2023, the cumulative savings quadrupled, reaching 20 million kWh or P205 million.

The EEC Act, enacted on 12 April 2019, seeks to institutionalize EEC and grant incentives to EEC projects. Its Implementing Rules and Regulations was signed on 22 November 2019 and became effective on 21 December 2019.

Increase awareness

The DoE regularly conducts energy audits and spot checks to increase the awareness of government entities, which encouraged them to adopt energy efficiency and conservation by reducing expenditures on fuel and electric utility services. To sustain the positive development, the DOE’s adoption of a Flexible Work Arrangement has recorded 49 percent electricity savings from its Friday work-from-home scheme.