Energy efficiency has been playing an increasingly important role as the world evolves, with new technologies giving consumers greater control over how they manage and consume energy.

For the Philippines, this is especially timely during the dry season, when electricity demand historically surges. But this year, the country is also bracing for the potential impact of the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which continue to unsettle global energy markets. These have prompted renewed calls for collective action through energy efficiency and conservation.

As the country’s largest electricity distributor, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), has been proactively implementing all necessary measures to manage possible supply disruptions and upward pressure on electricity prices due to the current situation.

“We want to ensure adequate supply of power and manage price volatility as responsibly as possible,” Meralco chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

ENSURING CONTINUOUS SERVICE

Among the steps the company is taking to manage the possible impact of the Middle East conflict are reviewing its fuel mix — including liquefied natural gas, coal, and diesel — maintaining close coordination with power suppliers, and supporting the government’s call to embrace energy efficiency.

“It would also help if we’re mindful of our electricity consumption as the war in the Middle East continues. We import much of the fuel used to generate power — we can all help to have enough power to get through the next few weeks if we conserve power,” Pangilinan said.

Meralco has been supporting measures that the government has undertaken to manage the situation, particularly in implementing practices to manage consumption.

The distribution utility has risen to the task, working to ensure the continuous delivery of reliable and cost-competitive electricity to its millions of customers.

Meralco executive vice president and COO Ronnie L. Aperocho emphasized that the company is optimizing its energy mix and fully leveraging the most cost-efficient sources, regardless of technology.

In addition, Meralco is prudently managing its exposure to the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), where electricity prices are known to be highly volatile. Aperocho also assured Meralco customers that the company is ready to secure lower-cost replacement power whenever needed.