Everyday life in the Philippines feels like a balancing act. There are days that I don’t know what to do anymore! The electricity bill arrives and it’s higher than last month! We’ve tried lowering our electricity use by unplugging unused appliances, switching to inverter models, limiting the use of electric fans, turning off lights when not needed, and letting natural light into the dining and living room—but all to no avail.
My husband doesn’t use the car every day and mostly prefers to commute or hail a cab because gasoline prices keep increasing and making even short trips to the market or school more costly.
The cost of living keeps rising, and we know that small businesses struggle to keep up. In all honesty, my family juggles tuition, groceries, transportation, and community obligations, often wondering how to stretch every peso just a little further. My youngest doesn’t take the school bus anymore and rides the trike to and from school. Groceries have been limited to just the basics and essentials. No more extra buys that are not on the already long list. Believe me, these are just some of the daily worries and struggles our family faces.
These are the conversations we hear in offices, groups, churches, and yes, even in our recent barangay gatherings. Talks about “ang mahal na ng kuryente” and how the last Meralco bill nearly doubled compared to the last. Someone else chimes in about LPG prices, saying even cooking adobo feels like a luxury now. How even the cheapest rice is heavier on the budget. I mentioned that the “baon” for my Senior High son costs more these days, and frankly seems to eat up a quarter of the month’s income.
It’s not just numbers on a bill—it’s the reality of parents deciding whether to cut back on food, skip a family outing, or delay a small business plan because expenses keep piling up.
Reflecting on What We Can Do
As a mom, I don’t have technical answers or big solutions. But I do find myself asking: Is there a way to spend less on electricity?
That’s when I noticed how solar panels – something I once thought was only for big corporations or faraway projects – is already helping some of the homeowners in my community.
I’ve actually seen right from my own small community using renewable energy for our lamp posts and emergency lights. We have a half-court near our house and since there is no nearby lighting available especially when homeowners are playing at night, the board of directors decided to install a solar-powered lamp post.
I live in a small community with mostly retirees and elderly couples. Every now and then, I join the old ladies for a bit of chismisan sa kalye, you know, those fun little street chats.High electricity bills came up in the chit-chat one time. An old lady mentioned that they are using solar-powered energy at home and cut the electricity bill to half!I got curious, so, one day, I scheduled a visit to her home to get an idea on what they are using and how it actually works. She even showed me her previous Meralco bills. Then she pointed to 3 mid-sized solar panels she’s using to power the lights, a small inverter refrigerator and 2 electric fans and other small appliances.
It was really an eye-opener for me because I can also do this and save more money by reducing electricity consumption via solar-powered energy!
So, when I started writing this article, I explored more options and possible solutions. I even started researching more ways to lower our monthly electricity bills, hoping to find practical solutions we could actually apply at home. Currently, we’re using LED light bulbs in our patio and garden and turned on from dusk until dawn, every single night.
I remembered my convo with the old lady, so to test it out for my house, I did order 2 solar panels for my garden. There’s a Buy 1 Take 1 I saw from an e-commerce site. It’s not that expensive and within my budget. They’re actually for outdoor use, waterproof, charges during daytime and auto-lighting at nighttime. Brightness can be controlled via remote.
As of this writing, I have just unboxed and haven’t fully assembled them. But, to give you an idea – there’s a solar panel and a rectangular LED light that can be easily and quickly installed together, with no wiring needed.
I’m curious and actually excited with the solar panels I ordered. Once installed and in full use, I’ll definitely take notes if indeed they will reduce my electricity bills.
I realized that actually seeing solar power at work in my own community was what really sparked my journey. Now I know that investing in solar energy is not at all that expensive and inaccessible – that there are products readily available in the market that fit my budget. I’m excited to have the ones I ordered installed and purchase more solar panels for other purposes.
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