Meralco proposes savings program

posted January 27, 2016 at 11:05 pm by  Alena Mae S. Flores

http://thestandard.com.ph/business/197874/meralco-proposes-savings-program.html

Manila Electric Co. plans to enjoin 2,000 small and medium businesses to participate in an initiative that will manage their electricity consumption and avail of special rates under a peak/off peak program to save up to 37 percent of cost.

Meralco, the country’s biggest power distributor, is offering its Meralco Biz Partners initiative to SMEs to maximize their business potential through the more efficient use of energy.

Meralco assistant vice president and head of Meralco Biz Partners 

Ma. Cecilia Domingo told reporters the company was offering SMEs with a monthly consumption of 5 kilowatts to 499 kilowatts ways to make their business operations more efficient and profitable.

“We believe that Meralco’s business will grow if our customers’ business will grow as well. If they grow, their consumption will also go up,” Domingo said.

She said Meralco was helping businesses cope with the high cost of electricity that had affected their competitiveness.

“The usual complain is the [high] price of electricity but.... only 10 or 15 percent of the price of electricity goes to Meralco. This is our way of helping businesses become efficient and profitable so they can expand,” Domingo said.

Under the Meralco Biz Partners offering, businesses will learn more about using innovative technology to reduce power cost. The use of BBZ freezers for restaurants, for instance, could increase sales by as much as 30 percent, while spending only P33 per day on electricity.

Meralco said using induction heat cookers would also result in savings as it cost P18.42 per hour to operate compared with P47.05 per hour using LPG.

By enrolling in Meralco’s peak/off peak program and shifting operating hours to off-peak hours from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m., companies can save up to 37 percent.

Domingo said around 80,000 customers within Meralco’s franchise area, like restaurants, boutique hotels, farms, manufacturing plants and commercial buildings, could avail of Meralco’s energy management offerings.

Domingo said SMEs must simply register with Meralco as a business partner.

“Out of the 80,000 customers, around 10 to 20 percent can benefit,” she said.

She said electricity savings depended largely on business operations and consumption.

“Some 10 percent, some 20 percent, it varies. It really depends on their operation,” the official said.

Meralco is the country’s biggest power distributor with over five million customers in its franchise area, while SMEs account for more than 90 percent of Philippine businesses.